Troubled launch for site
WASHINGTON — Ten days before HealthCare.gov opened for business, Marilyn Tavenner, the relatively obscure federal bureaucrat whose agency oversaw the creation of the troubled online insurance marketplace, had a bad omen. It was a Sunday, and her mobile device was on the fritz, forcing her to go into the office.
Peter Fisher named new head of Department of Physics
Last week, Professor Peter H. Fisher was named the new head of the Department of Physics. His five-year term will begin on Nov. 15. Fisher succeeds Edmund Bertschinger who left his position as department head in July to become the Institute Community and Equity Officer. Since then, Thomas J. Greytak has been serving as an interim department head. Fisher has been a faculty member at MIT since 1994. He currently teaches 8.033, a course on special and general relativity.
Major declaration numbers released; Course VI most popular
Earlier this month, the Registrar released enrollment statistics for the Fall 2013, detailing the primary majors chosen by students of the sophomore class. Course VI, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, was once again the most popular primary major, accounting for 367 students, or 32 percent of the sophomore class.
Grimson leaving Chancellorship to fill new role
Eric Grimson PhD ’80, Chancellor of MIT since 2011, will leave the Chancellorship and take on the ad hoc role of Chancellor for Academic Advancement, President L. Rafael Reif announced in an email to the MIT community Tuesday morning. In the new role, Grimson will help “meet the ambitious goals of MIT’s upcoming fundraising campaign,” Reif wrote. MIT will be searching for a new chancellor, and suggestions or insights should be sent to chancellorsearch@mit.edu or Room 3-208.
Koch-linked group admits spending violations
A secretive nonprofit group with ties to billionaire conservative businessmen Charles and David Koch admitted to improperly failing to disclose more than $15 million in contributions it funneled into state referendum battles in California, state officials there announced Thursday.
Monstrous sales and roaring stock, but no profit
SAN FRANCISCO — Nearly every day, Amazon announces a new venture.
For Boston FSILG houses, temporary large events ban
MIT fraternities, sororities, and independent living groups (FSILGs) with houses in Boston are now prohibited from having events that would cause the number of individuals in their building to exceed their posted residential occupancy, Assistant Dean of FSILGs Marlena Martinez Love announced in an email Friday afternoon.
Economist Lawrence R. Klein dies at 93
Lawrence R. Klein, who predicted America’s economic boom after World War II and who was awarded the 1980 Nobel in economic science for developing statistical models that are used to analyze and predict global economic trends, died Sunday at his home in Gladwyne, Pa. He was 93.
Reif joins manufacturing group
On Sept. 26, the White House announced that President L. Rafael Reif will co-chair the newly formed Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Steering Committee 2.0. This committee, launched by President Barack Obama to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, was formed from the recommendations of a previous Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Steering Committee that reported its findings in July 2012. AMP 2.0 is composed of public university presidents and private industry CEOs from throughout the U.S.
EdX’s new developments, partners
A number of recent developments have been announced regarding edX, the online learning initiative started by MIT and Harvard that has since accepted various other partner institutions.
MIT fined for emissions
Following a review of 2012 emissions records and an inspection of MIT’s power plant on Vassar Street, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) fined MIT $15,000 for violations in the monitoring of emissions.
IN SHORT
Economist and MIT alumnus Robert J. Shiller PhD ’72 won the 2013 Nobel Prize in economic sciences for his empirical analysis of asset prices. Shiller, currently a Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University, will share the award with Eugene F. Fama and Lars Peter Hansen of University of Chicago.
Bexley demolition sought
Yesterday, at a meeting with the advisory group for the future of Bexley Hall, the Department of Facilities and the Division of Student Life put forth a recommendation for the demolition of the building. Formerly an undergraduate dorm, Bexley Hall was closed after commencement this past year after inspections revealed a myriad of structural issues. If the recommendation is accepted by senior MIT administrators, the proposal will go to the City of Cambridge to acquire the necessary permits to evaluate and demolish the historic building.
Undergraduate representatives for Institute Committees selected
The Undergraduate Association (UA) Council and Chair of the Faculty Steven Hall approved Institute Committees’ undergraduate representatives Sept. 25. These students were chosen through a “competitive selection process by the UA’s Nominations Board,” according to UA Chief of Staff Shruti Sharma ’15. MIT Institute Committees — which are run by the faculty or administration and include undergraduate and graduate representatives — address a variety of issues at MIT.
Life explained differently: two new intro biology classes
The biology department launched two new introductory biology classes this term, 7.015 and 7.016, bringing the total number of introductory biology classes to five. 7.015 is the first intro biology class to cater towards students who come from a stronger biology background. 7.015 also incorporates discussion-based recitations and guest lectures, in contrast to the standard lecture format of the other 7.01x classes.
New office for green MIT
After years of experience in the field of campus sustainability, Julie Newman will take on a role as the first director of MIT’s new Office of Sustainability.
Two MIT professors win MacArthur Fellowships
This year, the MacArthur Foundation selected 24 recipients of their MacArthur Fellowships, otherwise known as the MacArthur “Genius Grants.” Two MIT professors — Dina Katabi MS ’99, PhD ’03 from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Sara Seager from the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences — were named MacArthur Fellows. The Tech spoke with them to find out what excites them about their research, and what it’s like to work in male-dominated fields.
Voodoo magazine has funding restored
The Financial Board (Finboard) of the Undergraduate Association (UA) has now released its trimesterly funding allocations for student groups. This release, delayed by about a week, comes on the heels of Voodoo Magazine successfully appealing Finboard’s decision to revoke Voodoo’s funding on the grounds of a Title IX complaint. Voodoo is headed by Senior House co-president and member of the UA Council Alina Kononov ’14,