MIT professors and alumni elected to National Academy of Sciences
Four MIT professors and six MIT alumni were elected to the National Academy of Sciences this past Tuesday, May 1. This election brings the total number of MIT faculty members who are part of the Academy to 78, and the number of MIT affiliates — emeritus and former faculty, current and former staff, and alumni — to 199, according to a press release from the MIT News Office. Membership honors those who have made significant contributions in original research. In total, 84 new members and 21 foreign associates were elected this year.
The ‘holy grail’ of hacks
153 windows, 153 pixels. Two weekends ago, the front of the Green Building lit up in a colorful display of the popular puzzler Tetris. The 17x9 pixel screen spanned over 80 by 250 feet — making it the second largest screen in the nation. Appearing mysteriously on Friday night, the Tetris hack was the culmination of over four and a half years of work by an undisclosed number of hackers. With the completion of the hack came the conclusion of a dream; the idea of transforming Building 54 into a working game of Tetris has been a fantasy of hackers for decades.
Occupy enthralls world of academia Social scientists study protests through survey data, oral history
If surveys of Occupy Wall Street supporters conducted in the fall still hold true, the crowds of protesters expected to turn out Tuesday for May Day events across the country will likely skew male, young, white, college-educated, underpaid and thoroughly disgusted with the U.S. political system.
4.75% increase in grad stipend
Graduate stipends will be increasing by 4.75 percent for the 2012-2013 school year. The recommended yearly stipend for research assistants will be $30,888 at the doctoral level, and $28,236 at the Master’s level. Graduate teaching assistants will receive $31,644.
Faculty suggest presidential picks
This week, faculty again took to the pages of their Newsletter to chime in on key Institute developments, including the selection of the next president, MIT 2030, and MITx. The March/April newsletter’s editorial page also featured faculty thoughts on the presidential search process, in addition to 10 suggestions for specific people who could replace President Susan J. Hockfield.
IN SHORT
The Red Line will be replaced with shuttle bus service between Kendall and Broadway Saturday and Sunday. Allow for a few extra minutes when going downtown this weekend! Buses will stop at all stations except Downtown Crossing. Riders must walk from Park Street to transfer to the Orange line.
Planning board review of MIT 2030
MIT will present a new round of its ideas for the future of Kendall Square and the MIT campus east of Ames St. at Tuesday evening’s public meeting of the Cambridge Planning Board.
Kaiser withdraws as chief of NIGMS
Biology Department Head Chris A. Kaiser PhD ’88 withdrew his candidacy for the director of the National Institute of General Medicines (NIGMS) this past Monday, citing personal reasons. Kaiser would have assumed the position on April 30.
Harvard student’s death ruled suicide
The state medical examiner’s office has ruled that the Harvard College senior found dead in her room Saturday morning committed suicide.
Akamai CEO departs
Paul Sagan, chief executive of Akamai Technologies Inc., the giant Internet infrastructure company in Cambridge, said Wednesday that he would leave his post by the end of 2013, as the company adapts to the increasing use of mobile devices to surf the Internet.
MIT proposes $450m facility
WASHINGTON — The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is proposing to build a $450 million research facility at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford in a long-term venture that would reinforce the base’s high-tech mission without requiring new federal spending, according to government officials.
Sloan prof. and son in hedge fund fraud
MIT Sloan School of Management Professor Gabriel Bitran PhD ’75 and his son Marco Bitran ’97 have agreed to pay $4.8 million to settle hedge fund fraud charges brought against them by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the SEC said on Friday.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: MIT-SU Scholar Program
During this past spring break, I had the fortunate opportunity to visit Turkey in an all-expense-paid trip courtesy of the MIT-Sabancı University (SU) Freshman Scholar Program. A total of eight students were invited for a week-long stay at SU in Istanbul, Turkey by merit of their performance in freshman-level classes.
Sherley continues arguing against stem cell research in court
James L. Sherley, the former Course 20 MIT professor trying to stop government funding of embryonic stem cell research, had his day in court yesterday — again. This was his third time before the appeals court.
Binghamton halts pledging amid hazing concerns
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Binghamton University, one of the Northeast’s top public colleges, has halted all fraternity and sorority pledging this spring after what it called an “alarmingly high number of serious hazing complaints.”