Media connect MIT to WikiLeaks probe
MIT students, alumni, and affiliates have been caught up in the recent brouhaha about disclosure of classified military documents by Private First Class Bradley E. Manning.
Accepting the ‘Challenge’
“Come celebrate AMERICA’S BIRTHDAY with class!” Patrick C. McDaniel ’13 wrote to summer residents of East Campus on July 3. “Join us tomorrow for the GALLON CHALLENGE!”
Day 1, June 25
Wolfe B. Styke ’10 testified on the opening day of <i>Commonwealth v. Anna Tang</i>, the trial of the former Wellesley student who stabbed Styke in his Next House dormitory room in October 2007.
Pops, Keith take the stage
Over 800,000 people gathered on the Esplanade on July 4th this year to watch the annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. The show featured musical performances at the Hatch Shell by country singer and superstar Toby Keith, the Boston Pops Orchestra with conductor Keith Lockhart, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums. This is a “show that will surely dazzle the senses!” promised the announcer as the show went live on national television.
Lady Gaga pops by MIT
With aviator sunglasses hiding her eyes, lips painted fire-engine red, crystals dripping down her neck, and platinum blonde hair whisked to the side, the world-famous pop singer and recording artist Lady Gaga made a guest appearance to the MIT campus last Wednesday.
After three days in court, Tang trial postponed
The trial of Anna L. Tang — the Wellesley College student who stabbed MIT student Wolfe B. Styke ’10 in October 2007 — began last month, and came to an abrupt halt on its third day last week Wednesday.
‘Are you sure this is legal?’: a memorable encounter with Gaga
The expression of toughened boredom on the police officer’s face said quite clearly, “Lady Gaga does not want a 12-person serving of Caesar salad.”
Supreme Court defers IP case
The Supreme Court has elected to defer a decision on whether to take <i>Stanford University v. Roche Molecular Systems, et al.,</i> the intellectual property case that Stanford, MIT, and scores of universities have asked the Court to hear.
Student calls for oil spill aid; gains media attention
On June 10, Nora O. Hickey ’12 sent an email to President Susan J. Hockfield and copied all the dormitory lists, urging MIT to take a more active role in the recent BP oil spill.
Corrections
In the June 11 issue, the second paragraph of a caption describing top compensation at MIT omitted a word from the definition of the “Paid compensation” column in the accompanying table. “Paid compensation” is the sum of “base compensation,” “bonus & incentive compensation,” and “other reportable compensation.” The second item was incorrectly rendered as “bonus & compensation.” The same caption omitted an explanation of “MITIMCo.” MITIMCo, the MIT Investment Management Company, manages MIT’s investments and endowment. MITIMCo employees’ compensation is linked to the performance of MITIMCo’s investments. Professor Nelson Repenning’s half-million dollar “other reportable compensation” is due to his role as faculty director of a custom executive education program called the BP-MIT Operations Academy.
Ortiz named new grad dean
Chancellor Phillip L. Clay PhD ’75 announced the selection of Christine Ortiz, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, as the new Dean for Graduate Education on June 28. Ortiz is scheduled to assume her position on August 1.
Prof speaks on China’s factory unrest
This week, the New York Times reported on escalating unrest among Chinese factory workers, who complain of long hours, miserable management and little pay. Many are striking to demand higher wages, shutting down major factories in what the Times calls a labor “contagion.”
Boston gets air of rare tornado watch
A series of powerful thunderstorms tore across Massachusetts this past weekend. Lightning and high winds caused loss of power to thousands of residents statewide. A tornado watch was put into effect on Sunday in Middlesex County, Worcester County, Franklin County, Hampden County and Hampshire County.
Corrections
An article published on June 4 about former student Lori Berenson incorrectly stated that she was married to guerilla leader Nestor Cerpa at the time of her 1995 arrest. Berenson was not married to Cerpa, but she was with his wife at the time of the arrest.
2008 Top Salaries at MIT
Because of changes in IRS regulations, this data is for calendar year 2008, but the previously reported data were for fiscal years ending June 30. As a result, this year’s CY08 12-month period overlaps by 6 months with the FY08 12-month period.
Seeking the next Dean for Graduate Education
Chancellor Phillip L. Clay PhD ’75 intends to hire the Dean of Graduate Education by July 1, filling the vacancy created by the departure of Steven R. Lerman ’72. Lerman, who held the positions of Dean of Graduate Education and Vice Chancellor, left MIT this spring to become Provost of George Washington University. In the meantime, Senior Associate Dean Blanche E. Staton will run the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education.
Nominated to lead NSF
On June 8, President Barack Obama formally nominated MIT School of Engineering dean, Subra Suresh ScD ’81, to act as the next director of the National Science Foundation.
Unraveling tenure at MIT
Usually students miss more lectures than their professors, but in week five of the spring 2010 term, Eric Hudson, popular instructor of 8.02: Electricity & Magnetism, would have given chronic class-skippers competition. “I think I’ve been gone five of the last seven weeks or something,” he said with a light chuckle, seeming awed at that fraction himself. “It’s really been terrible,” he said.