SHASS introduces Computing and Society concentration
“The goal of the concentration is to help students gain a greater understanding of how changes in computational power have refashioned fundamental questions about community, identity, democracy, and knowledge itself,” Karen Gardner, academic administrator of Science, Technology, and Society (STS), wrote.
Students required to order books from Coop online
The Coop will continue to carry apparel, accessories, gifts, and some books at its physical location.
David H. Koch ’62 dies at 79
Koch’s gift enabled the creation of a location where “scientists and engineers work together under one roof in pursuit of powerful, new ways to diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent cancer.”
President Reif apologizes to Epstein victims
“With hindsight, we recognize with shame and distress that we allowed MIT to contribute to the elevation of his reputation, which in turn served to distract from his horrifying acts. No apology can undo that,” Reif wrote.
Two academics to leave Media Lab over Epstein ties
Matias wrote that he “cannot with integrity" do his work within the MIT Media Lab.
Residence exploration, orientation, registration
Welcome to MIT! First-year and graduate student orientation begin Aug. 25.
College of Computing Task Force working group final reports available
The Curricula and Degrees working group examined various options for new curriculum development, including providing “Programming, Computation, and Data” instructors for computationally intensive non-CS subjects and a summer program for first-year students with little computational background.
SAO institutes attendee sign-in policy for student group summer events
The SAO and CAC wrote to the clubs that the policy change was made “to address reported concerns around safety, security, and overall capacity during reduced summer hours.”
MIT received thousands in donations from Epstein Interests
Ito wrote, “I take full responsibility for my error in judgment. I am deeply sorry to the survivors, to the Media Lab, and to the MIT community for bringing such a person into our network.”
HackMIT no longer admits all MIT students
Workshops and talks will be open to the entire MIT community.
Economist Daron Acemoglu named Institute Professor
Acemoglu is the winner of the 2005 John Bates Clark Medal and co-author of the New York Times bestselling book Why Nations Fail.
Inaugural John M. Deutch Institute Professor Suzanne Berger reflects on her research, MIT
Berger: "That experience of collaborating with engineers and scientists was what really changed my whole direction intellectually. Learning how to see the world through their eyes as well as through the eyes of a social scientist made a great difference in my own work."
Professor Patrick Winston dies at 76
Suri Bandler ’17: Winston had "a deep sense of humor, a shocking love of chocolates, and a core that is MIT through-and-through."
Next House required to implement opt-out for first-year squatting despite house vote against it
Next House President Jessica Tang ’20 said discussions with Barnhart and Nelson led Next Exec to think that they could “vote on whether an opt-out option was to be implemented at all.”
Reif emphasizes the value of immigrants in light of U.S. government actions against Chinese researchers and scientists
Vice President of Research Maria Zuber emphasized that improving security relies on identifying processes and organizational structures that need to be enhanced, rather than targeting any particular ethnic group.
Insurance waivers to be processed by Gallagher Student Health, possibly fewer students will be able to waive extended plan
Waiver requests will also need to be submitted by Aug. 15. This is earlier than previous years, when the deadline was typically around Aug. 31.
Interim ICEO Alyce Johnson reflects on her time at MIT
“I always felt like I belonged. That’s a very enriching feeling.”
ISO responds to work authorization delays affecting international students’ internships
“In the coming year, we will continue our efforts to encourage departments to put in place professional development and experiential learning requirements,” David Elwell, associate dean and director of the ISO, wrote.
Provost announces broadened search for ICEO, new associate provost position
The associate provost will work with other administrators to “ensure equitable practices during the faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and review processes.”
Work authorization delays interfere with international students’ summer internships
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires that students apply for OPT no more than 90 days before their projected start dates. In past years, this has typically been enough time for applications to be approved, but this year, processing times appear to be stretching towards four to five months.