Baker to head biology dept. Discusses department goals and passion for science
E.C. Whitehead Professor, Biology Graduate Program Co-Director, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator Tania A. Baker has been named as the next head of the department of biology. She will assume the position on April 1, succeeding Chris A. Kaiser PhD ’88, who was selected to run the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) in October. Baker was the associate department head for biology from 1999 to 2004.
One year later, Nokia and Microsoft’s software partnership surpasses industry expectations
BARCELONA, Spain — One year ago, Jo Harlow, the head of smart devices at Nokia, stood before a packed convention hall at the Mobile World Congress, the cellphone industry’s most important trade show, to explain the Finnish company’s new software alliance with Microsoft.
MITx targeted in Newsletter
The January/Februaryπ Faculty Newsletter (FNL) marks the second issue in a row in which MIT’s faculty launched a coordinated response to a major Institute development. Last issue, it was . Now, the faculty have turned their collective eye towards MITx — the set to open to the public next week.
CORRECTIONS
A Feb. 24 article about Caroline Shinkle ’15’s campaign for Republican State Committeewoman incorrectly stated that only registered Republicans could vote in the March 6 elections. Those registered as “unenrolled,” i.e. those who have not declared a party affiliation may also vote. The article also stated that The Tech was unable to verify Shinkle’s attendance at Republican City and Town committee meetings. Shinkle did attend a Feb. 16 Republican State Committee Candidates forum.
Front doors to the Institute old, cold, and controlled
Many a day has passed when pedestrians walking up the steps to Lobby 7 have encountered an “Out of Order” sign at one of the three entrance doors. The doors, some of the most-used on campus, have been under repair six times this academic year, according to Manager of Repair and Maintenance Kevin Connolly. In two of the instances, the doors were under repair for two and three weeks, while the other four instances were same-day repairs.
Anderson’s cause of death still unknown
No conclusion has been reached as to the cause of death of Brian G. Anderson ’13, the MIT junior who was found dead in his Next House dormitory room last Monday.
UA Council holds inaugural meeting
The first meeting of the newly formed UA Council convened on Tuesday with nearly all of the expected members in attendance. Though they expected to pass their constitution at this meeting, those present decided it would be best postponed until next week .
$500,000 grant for music research at MIT
Michael Scott Cuthbert, associate professor of music, was recently awarded a $500,000 grant from the Digging into Data consortium. This grant will support his work in using computational techniques to study changes in Western musical style. He has received $175,000 specifically for his music21 project . On Thursday, Cuthbert sat with The Tech to discuss his work with music21 and his passion for combining computational techniques with music.
Diversity discussions on the rise
Shamarah J. Hernandez ’12. Course 14. McCormick resident. What are the first thoughts that come to mind when you read those four facts about her? Oh, she must be a minority student? Course 14 … um, is she double majoring in something else?
CORRECTIONS
A Nov. 29, 2011 article about MIT’s Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values incorrectly stated that the Dalai Lama visited Central Park in 2010. He visited the park in 2003.
Freshman runs for Republican office
Caroline B. Shinkle ’15 will be running for the position of Republican State Committeewoman for the district of Suffolk and Middlesex, which includes the city of Cambridge and portions of Boston. The position has been vacant for six years. The Republican State Committee serves as the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Republican Party; its primary role is to recruit candidates for local, state, and federal offices, to build the party throughout the Commonwealth, raise funds for the Republican Party, and support Republican City and Town Committees. This committee has 80 members; a man and a woman from each district.
Mass. colleges gear up for fight over admissions
Massachusetts colleges are gearing up for a fight over the use of racial preferences in admissions, as the US Supreme Court prepares to consider the constitutionality of affirmative action in higher education for the second time in a decade.
DiCarlo to head BCS
This past month, Associate Professor of Neuroscience James DiCarlo was announced as the new head of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS). The BCS department is the home of the Course 9 major, and it is the academic home of most of the faculty members in the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and the new Simons Center for the Social Brain, headed by outgoing BCS head Mriganka Sur.
Letter from the Chancellor
We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Brian G. Anderson, a member of our community, and the third death of a student on campus during this academic year. Any one of these events stuns us; to have three in a year is incomprehensible.
Microtargeting helps campaigns customize ads
Political campaigns, which have borrowed tricks from Madison Avenue for decades, are now fully engaged on the latest technological frontier in advertising: aiming specific ads at potential supporters based on where they live, the websites they visit and their voting record.
Junior found dead in Next House
Brian G. Anderson ’13 was found dead in his third floor Next House dormitory room by MIT Campus Police slightly before noon yesterday. He was 21.
Hockfield announces resignation
Susan J. Hockfield, MIT's 16th president, announced this morning her decision to step down from the presidency after 7 years.