Course 2 senior Spencer R. Wilson receives a 2015 Marshall Scholarship
Last week, Spencer R. Wilson ’15 was named a Marshall Scholar, joining 30 others nationwide who will receive a full scholarship for two years of graduate study in the United Kingdom.
News Briefs
President Reif wrote in an email Wednesday that the preliminary report on the MIT Innovation Initiative — a manufacturing-focused effort announced last September — has been published. This report, detailing “an ambitious vision for how MIT could enhance its ability to deliver innovation to the world,” is a product of the program’s Adivsory Committee, also formed last fall.
Nov/Dec Faculty Newsletter released
This month’s edition of the MIT Faculty Newsletter touched on many of the same issues that have been at the forefront of recent student concerns. The newsletter highlighted faculty positions on issues including online learning and the Task Force on the Future of MIT Education, MIT’s response to sexual assault on campus, and mental health at MIT.
MIT students protest Ferguson grand jury decision on campus
In the wake of the Ferguson case in Missouri and protests around the country, some MIT students, including many from the Black Students’ Union (BSU), were inspired to speak out themselves.
News Briefs
Claude Canizares, MIT Vice President and Bruno Rossi Professor of Physics, will be stepping down at the end of the current academic year. He will leave his position on June 30 and will take a sabbatical after stepping down.
MIT fraternities and sanctions
The DU case differed in several ways from other MIT fraternity suspensions in recent years.
Corrections
The “Saferide route changes to go into effect in Dec.” article from the Tuesday, Nov. 25 issue of The Tech incorrectly suggested that the living groups affected by the removal of the Bay State Road stop was a complete list. Student House independent living group was not included in this list but will also be affected by the change.
MIT Football’s historic season ends Saturday in second playoff game
The MIT football team’s historic undefeated regular season and first-round playoff win are, according to Head Coach Chad Martinovich, “just part of the progression.”
Three from MIT become Rhodes Scholars
Two current MIT seniors, Anisha Gururaj ’15 and Elliot Akama-Garren ’15, and one graduate, Noam Angrist ’13, were named Rhodes Scholars on Saturday, Nov. 22. They will begin graduate studies at Oxford University next year.
Behind the suspension of the MIT Delta Upsilon fraternity
When MIT’s Technology Chapter of the Delta Upsilon fraternity was suspended this past April, there was no clear indication of the cause to outsiders. Other than the vague “inappropriate behavior” mentioned in a press release, neither Delta Upsilon International nor MIT explained why they were shutting down the chapter for two years.
Riding the temperature roller coaster
We enjoyed an unusually warm day yesterday, with temperatures topping out at 64°F (18°C) — that’s 18°F (10°C) warmer than the average high temperature for yesterday’s date! Today’s high temperature will be a whopping 29°F (20°C) colder than yesterday’s thanks to the passage of a cold front late yesterday afternoon. These cold temperatures won’t last long, though, due to an area of low pressure forming off of the North Carolina coast tonight. As this system tracks northward, winds in Boston will become southerly, making for a mild day tomorrow with a high temperature of 56°F (13°C). Of course, there is a trade-off — rain showers are likely early tomorrow morning, although chances of precipitation will taper off as the morning progresses. On Thursday, temperatures will take a swing in the other direction thanks to the passage of a cold front Wednesday night; expect seasonally cool temperatures in the low 40s°F (6°C). Expect a colder high temperature in the mid 30s°F (2°C) on Friday as this cold airmass behind the front settles in.
Institute Double Take
As the harsh winter begins to settle in, I wanted to take one last chance to capture a Boston sunset before the weather became too cold. Luckily, this past Sunday the temperature rose to a balmy 50 degrees, and there happened to be a beautiful sunset with a nice mix of clouds. I set up under the BU Bridge, facing southwest into the sunset. I decided to try out a technique I’d just read about, taking a series of about 300 pictures after the sun set, every 5 seconds from 5:00-5:25 p.m. (official sunset time: 4:13 p.m.). The aperture and ISO were set to maximize exposure time, helping one photo to blur into the next.
New director of MIT Libraries
Chris Bourg has been appointed as the next Director of the MIT Libraries, following a nationwide search that began after the Libraries’ previous director of 17 years, Ann Wolpert, passed away in October 2013.
Saferide route changes to go into effect in Dec.
A number of major changes to the Saferide routes are set to go into effect at the start of next month. The changes include updates to the Boston routes and a restructuring of the Cambridge routes, which will affect members of fraternities and sororities and graduate students living around MIT.
CORRECTIONS
In an infographic in the Friday, October 31, 2014 issue, the infographic incorrectly indicated the number of students in 6.01 that received fifth week flags. The correct number is 10 rather than 26.
LCA members housed in graduate dorms for term
Following the suspension of MIT’s Lambda Chi Alpha (LCA) fraternity last month, MIT is temporarily housing LCA members in graduate residences. In an email to The Tech, director of communications for the Division of Student Life Matthew D. Bauer said that “Because finding new housing mid-semester is academically burdensome, MIT is housing LCA members in the Sidney-Pacific and Tang residences until the end of the fall semester.”
Dean of MIT’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences stepping down
Deborah K. Fitzgerald, Dean of MIT’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) announced last Thursday that she would be stepping down and returning to her faculty position as a professor of the history of technology in MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society on July 1, 2015. An MIT faculty member since 1988, Fitzgerald has also served as an associate dean and acting dean of SHASS from 2005 to 2006 before becoming dean in 2007.