Vice President for Research responds to letter on Open Agriculture Initiative
OpenAg research at Bates that involves water discharge has been suspended, and a thorough assessment is taking place. MIT is committed to working constructively with MassDEP and the town of Middleton.
Now is the time for MIT to divest from fossil fuels
By divesting from fossil fuels, MIT can send a strong message that extracting and burning fossil fuels is not just normal commerce — it is deeply immoral and unjust, and it is killing people all over the world. Divestment would be not only the right thing to do, but also a highly effective strategy for action on the climate crisis.
How MIT makes work-life balance impossible
The criteria for success while juggling classes, qualifying exams, and research were not clear, and I was led to believe I would fail if I didn’t perform well in all of my commitments.
A letter to President Reif and Provost Schmidt regarding Epstein
Taking Epstein’s money suggested a willingness to turn a blind eye to the impact of his crimes, which included procuring the prostitution of a minor. The fact that this situation was even thinkable at MIT is profoundly disturbing and is symptomatic of broader, more structural problems involving gender and race in MIT’s culture. It is time for fundamental change.
A letter to the MIT community on accepting donations
I’m heartbroken that the senior team apparently spent more time discussing concerns about Epstein’s reputation than about MIT’s when they took the drastic step of accepting money from a disqualified donor.
A letter to President Reif regarding the Open Agriculture Initiative
Both MIT Environmental Health and Safety and MIT’s legal department were made aware of the environmental and academic allegations by Dr. Babakinejad. These serious issues were not properly addressed by MIT, and instead, Dr. Babakinejad faced retaliation for raising these concerns.
What’s wrong with accepting dirty money?
If MIT props up groups that actively work against us, our own donors will continue to thwart our dream of a better world. It’s not accepting dirty money that’s bad; it’s that we change our behavior when we cash the check.
In defense of President Reif
President Reif’s positions on so many other decisions directly affecting students have demonstrated a degree of integrity and political courage that I have found both encouraging and increasingly rare among our leaders today.
Why I am #ClimateStriking instead of attending the career fair
The current climate and ecological crisis calls for nothing short of rebellion. The least I can do is to take a stand against those stealing my future, our future, and the future of humanity.
MIT’s Climate Inaction Plan
The MIT community must truly be engaged with redefining MIT’s research priorities and imagining a more sustainable campus. Those changes will have profound impacts on everybody’s life here.
Two donors, two deaths, two responses
We must be concerned with the impression made on our students in condemning one donor for personal crimes and entirely overlooking the destructive transgressions of another, especially when the latter involves disinformation and attacks on science — the very antithesis of MIT’s mission as an educational institution.
Join the Global Climate Strike this Friday
MIT students should join the Global Climate Strike and take part in the worldwide movement that is mobilizing to combat the climate crisis.
A call to step up in response to Reif’s most recent letter
The current culture has reduced the importance of academic integrity and personal ethics in favor of rankings, volume of research papers, and fame. We need to return to that guiding light of what led us all here to come to MIT to the first place.
A call for radical transparency over MIT’s relationship to Epstein
The Reif-Epstein matter will remain swirled in controversy and conjecture until MIT makes a transparent release of all emails, documents, and minutes related to Epstein.
Failures in transparency and student input regarding changes to 2020 Commencement
The “One-MIT” ceremony would be followed by school- or department-specific ceremonies on Friday afternoon, during which the actual degrees would be conferred.
Joi is gone, but billionaire culture remains
The fallout from Epstein funding should push us to consider what needs to change not only at MIT, but in regards to wealth in America.
Who deserves to be a philanthropist?
A more effective donor would be willing to change their job, investments, and lifestyle to better align with the initiatives that they support.
Why Joi Ito needs to resign
I am calling for the immediate resignation of MIT Media Lab Director Joi Ito because of his deep connections with Epstein, his lack of leadership explaining his involvement, and the lack of transparency about the extent of his interactions with Epstein.
Alumnus on silence around Senior House
Now that a year has gone by, it is time for the administration to report on how the students who were thrown out of their “home” have adjusted to their changed life at the Institute.
Alumnus on Sheryl Sandberg’s 2018 commencement speech
The MIT community should think critically about Facebook’s hypocrisies and misdeeds, even as we heed Sandberg’s imperative to “do all the good we can, knowing that what we build will be used by people — and people are capable of great beauty and great cruelty.”