Civil and Environmental to offer flexible degree program
Starting Fall 2014, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Course 1) will be offering a new, flexible undergraduate degree program named 1-ENG. Current students may switch to the program in the fall or stay with their current 1-C (Civil) or 1-E (Environmental) track.
Boston Globe wins Pulitzer for marathon bombing coverage
The staff of The Boston Globe was awarded a 2014 Pulitzer Prize on Monday for its coverage of the bombings a year ago that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others near the Boston Marathon finish line, an attack that shook the nation as it raised the specter once again of terrorism on American soil.
CORRECTIONS
An article in last Friday’s issue misleadingly compared faculty salaries at MIT to total compensation amounts (which include both salaries and benefits) at Columbia, Stanford, and Harvard, which had the top three average full professor compensations this academic year. The article has been edited online to only compare salaries to salaries.
Discipline committee reports spike in caseload
The number of cases brought to the Committee on Discipline — which includes alleged alcohol and drug violations, cheating, and plagiarism — jumped to 189 in the 2012-2013 academic year.
MIT professors earn $185,900 on average
A recent survey of U.S. research universities found that faculty salaries increased 0.7 percent this academic year, the first increase since 2009.
‘Gospel of Jesus’ Wife’ papyrus found authentic
A faded fragment of papyrus known as the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife,” which caused an uproar when unveiled by a Harvard Divinity School historian in 2012, has been tested by scientists who conclude in a journal published Thursday that the ink and papyrus are very likely ancient, and not a modern forgery.
MIT to mark first anniversary of Collier’s death
CAMBRIDGE — A year after MIT police Officer Sean Collier was gunned down on campus, the university is finishing plans for a permanent memorial to honor him. A professor still bakes cookies every month for the university police. And a team, dubbed MIT Strong, is training to run the Boston Marathon in his memory.
New GSC executives to take office in May
The Graduate Student Council elected a new set of executive officers last Wednesday, including President-elect John Kendall Nowocin G. They will assume office in May.
New deadline and procedure for CI-H/CI-HW Subjects
On Wednesday, Dennis Freeman PhD ’86, the Dean for Undergraduate Education, announced in an email to the undergraduate community that a new process for enrolling in Communication Intensive HASS (CI-H/HW) subjects has been established. This new enrollment tool will replace the HASS-D Lottery as a means for selecting CI-H/HW subjects.
Taxi riders don’t fear cold: data
For years, Boston’s Department of Transportation has collected GPS data on every taxi pickup and drop-off throughout the city. It is an astonishing accumulation of raw numbers on how Bostonians get around, ripe with opportunity for analysis.
Late-night T service starts strong
The MBTA’s extended late night hours of service, which began March 28, mean that the T and certain bus routes will now run for nearly 90 minutes longer on Friday and Saturday nights. The final trains from downtown stations will leave at about 2:30 a.m. during extended hours, according to the MBTA’s website.
CORRECTIONS
A quote in an April 4 article about MIT’s performance in the Putnam Mathematical Competition incorrectly attributed a quote about the exam to Travis Hance. The quote was actually from Tianyou Zhou.
Chemical engineering professor appointed associate provost
Karen K. Gleason ’82, a chemical engineering professor, began her appointment as associate provost last Monday.
Harvard College sophomore dies after falling from building
Andrew Sun, a Harvard College sophomore, died 4 a.m. Monday at Massachusetts General Hospital after falling from a building in downtown Boston the day before, The Crimson reported in an online article that morning.
CORRECTIONS
To clarify a Tuesday, April 1 article about the election of the Sharma/Ndengeyingoma ticket to the UA presidency/vice presidency, while Sharma was quoted saying she wanted to re-establish presidential summits in the style of former P/VP Craighead/Walsh, current UA president Sidhanth Rao said in an email to The Tech that similar summits did occur this semester, but did not occur during the Fall 2013 semester.
MIT team wins first in Putnam math contest
MIT took first place in the 2013 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition this year, only the seventh time the Institute has claimed the top prize of $25,000 since the founding of the competition almost a century ago. This year’s team was composed of Benjamin P. Gunby ’15, Mitchell M. Lee ’16, and Zipei Nie ’15, all of whom placed in the top 25. The team members were designated before the competition from among a larger group of MIT students taking the test.