Patrick Proposes Ethics Reform to Curb Corrupt Politicians and Lobbyists
Responding to a rash of public corruption scandals in Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday proposed steeper fines for ethics violations and other improvements to laws meant to keep government officials and lobbyists honest.
Dreamers and Doers: Many Innovators Get Started as Undergrads
Nicolas Naranjo knocked on Evan Kimbrell’s door at midnight.
540 Accepted Out of 5,019 Applicants in a Record-Setting Year
MIT accepted 10.7 percent of early applicants this year, in what may be the most competitive admissions season yet. Out of 5019 applications, 540 students were offered early admission, according to Dean of Admissions Stuart Schmill ’86.
Lauren Tsai ’04
Lauren Tsai ’04, who graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, was killed Saturday, December 13 in a car crash in Newton. She was 26.
News Briefs
The Institute will announce its 2008–9 tuition and financial aid budget sooner than usual, said Secretary of the Corporation Kirk D. Kolenbrander after the Friday, Dec. 5 MIT Corporation meeting. The tuition announcement is usually made in March.
Their Endowments Crumbling, Schools Make Contingency Plans
For years, it seemed simple: Donations rolled in, the booming stock market multiplied them, and college endowments swelled. At the wealthiest schools, millions became billions, and even small colleges amassed sizable fortunes.
Meet JoVE: The YouTube Of Scientific Journals
Science journal meets YouTube in the Journal of Visualized Experiments; an open-access peer-reviewed online journal, accessible at <i>jove.com</i>, that has been publishing videos of biological research from labs across the country, including many from MIT.
Initial Dining Proposal Includes Possible Automatic Meal Charge
Amid reports that the Blue Ribbon Committee on Dining is considering the possibility of an automatic meal charge for most undergraduates, the Undergraduate Association Senate last night passed a bill demanding more transparency in the committee’s deliberations.
Faculty Will Vote Next Week on GIR Changes
The MIT faculty will vote to approve changes to the General Institute Requirements recommended by the Education Commons Subcommittee of the Committee on the Undergraduate Program on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Grad Student Receives Pretrial Probation After Assault Charge
A graduate student has received pretrial probation, effectively halting the four charges filed against him in connection with an incident at the List Visual Arts Center in October 2007.
Some Floor Plans Gone; Issue 49 of ‘The Tech’ Was Stolen
<i>This occasional feature will follow up on news stories long past their prime. In this edition: MIT’s removal of floor plans from the Facilities website, and what ever happened to Issue 49 of The Tech?</i>
Oliver G. Selfridge ’45
Oliver G. Selfridge ’45, an innovator in early computer science and artificial intelligence, died Wednesday in Boston. He was 82.
College Expenses Outpacing Incomes
The rising cost of college — even before the recession — threatens to put higher education out of reach for most Americans, according to the biennial report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
MIT Responds to Students; MBTA Drops Federal Case
<i>This occasional feature will follow up on news stories long past their prime. In this edition: how MIT fired, and un-fired, a women’s support administrator; and whatever happened to that MBTA lawsuit?</i>
OLPC Patent Infringement Suit Dismissed by Middlesex Judge
A Middlesex Superior Court Judge has dismissed the case against the One Laptop Per Child Foundation by Nigerian company Lagos Analysis Corporation (Lancor). Lancor claimed that the OLPC Foundation’s XO laptop copied the design of Lancor’s patented Konyin multi-lingual keyboards. The suit asked for $20 million in damages.
As Nanoparticle Use Rises, So Does Concern Over Safety, Regulations
It sounds like a plot straight out of a science fiction novel by Michael Crichton. Toiletry companies formulate new cutting-edge creams and lotions that contain tiny components designed to work more effectively. But those minuscule building blocks have an unexpected drawback: the ability to penetrate the skin, swarm through the body and overwhelm organs like the liver.
Stuck in Hotel During Mumbai Terrorist Attack, Prof. Escapes
On the night of Nov. 26, Sloan Professor Eric von Hippel SM ’68 was awoken by explosions and gunshots from his room at the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai, India. Von Hippel experienced and survived the terrorist attack that devastated one of India’s largest and most developed cities.
Colleges Scramble to Sell Assets as Markets Slide
Some of the nation’s universities are trying to sell chunks of their portfolios privately as their endowments swoon with the markets.
Leaving a Digital Trail: What About Privacy?
Harrison R. Brown ’12, an 18-year-old freshman majoring in mathematics at MIT, didn’t need to do complex calculations to figure out he liked this deal: In exchange for letting researchers track his every move, he receives a free smartphone.