MIT Alumni Association
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Plus, two MIT alum astronauts—both in their reunion year—joined the program from the International Space Station, and new MIT president Sally Kornbluth participated in a fireside chat during her first Tech Reunions.
Learn more about the program and speakers at https://alum.mit.edu/events/tech-reunions/tech-day
0:00 Overview of MIT Better World Alumni Service Award and awards ceremony by Stephen Baker
7:47 Exploring Earth's Twin—Taylor Perron
16:23 Black Hole Echoes and Music of the Cosmos—Erin Kara
28:57 Q&A with Maria Zuber
52:39 A Conversation with the ISS
Plus, two MIT alum astronauts—both in their reunion year—joined the program from the International Space Station, and new MIT president Sally Kornbluth participated in a fireside chat during her first Tech Reunions.
Learn more about the program and speakers at https://alum.mit.edu/events/tech-reunions/tech-day
0:00 Welcome from MITAA CEO Whitney Espich
4:40 Nanosatellites for Weather and Communications—Kerri Cahoy
13:34 Sustainability in Space and on Earth: Research Initiatives of the Space Enabled Research Group—Danielle Wood
21:25 Making Oxygen on Mars for Human Exploration—Jeff Hoffman
32:16 Q&A—moderated by Maria Zuber
In the next MIT Alumni Forum, CMIT codirector and MIT professor Eric Alm and CMIT founder Neil Rasmussen ’76, SM ’79 will discuss the microbiome’s relationship to human health, explore new discoveries, and share updates on microbiome-based therapies and treatments for diseases, disorders, and diagnoses.
The theme the students have chosen for this year’s celebration is The Ache For Home. The program will include remarks from student speakers, a short performance, a keynote, and a networking reception immediately following.
We are delighted to announce that our keynote speaker will be Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. An activist, a legislator, and survivor, Congresswoman Pressley is the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Throughout her career as a public servant and as a member of Congress, she has been a champion for justice and healing: reproductive justice, justice for immigrants, consumer justice, justice for seniors, justice for workers, justice for survivors of sexual violence, justice for the formerly and currently incarcerated, as well as healing for those who have experienced trauma. Congresswoman Pressley has fought to ensure that those closest to the pain are closest to the power - driving and informing policymaking. In Congress, she has been a champion for justice and healing: reproductive justice, justice for immigrants, consumer justice, justice for seniors, justice for workers, justice for survivors of sexual violence, justice for formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, and healing for those who have experienced trauma. She has also turned her experience living with alopecia into action, becoming a leading voice fighting to raise awareness and support for the alopecia community across the nation.
Congresswoman Pressley currently serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Committee on Financial Services. Prior to being elected to Congress, she served on the Boston City Council for eight years, and was the first woman of color elected to the council in its 100-year history.
Full video here: youtu.be/1uVh0WEXKe4
Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/41PXFeX
#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
In an entirely unscientific survey, the MIT Alumni Association asked alumni what word, phrase, or acronym would reveal they went to MIT. While the responses varied, one thing is for certain: The MIT community has a language all its own.
#massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Let’s get together to celebrate the people and places that meant so much to you and your classmates—then and now—at Tech Reunions, June 2–4. (The 50th and 25th reunion classes will celebrate June 1–4.)
Archival photos courtesy of MIT Technique Yearbooks 1972, 1987, 1992, and 2007
Full video here: youtu.be/1uVh0WEXKe4
Read the story on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3jINtE2
#bluegrass #banjo #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Jim Muller SM ’82, PhD ’83 and Sharon Horovitch PhD ’80 came to MIT to get their doctorates but left with much more. They got married while at the Institute, and they started a bluegrass band, Southern Rail, that has been playing for audiences around the country ever since.
#bluegrass #banjo #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Full video here: youtu.be/CdNS4mSHTTk
Read the story on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3D9RTdP
#shorts #indigenous #artist #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
In this MIT Alumni Forum, Kanwisher will explore why the brain is organized the way it is and share recent breakthroughs that have appeared from brain imaging labs around the world.
Join us at the next MIT Alumni Forum on February 8, The Human Microbiome: Health Science’s New Frontier, to hear how MIT is pioneering microbiome research and discovery from the Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics (CMIT) codirector and MIT professor Eric Alm and CMIT founder Neil Rasmussen ’76, SM ’79. Register today!
http://bit.ly/3HwmC7d
“Indigenous philosophies, and Dakota philosophy in particular, [are] not well known or understood. And so, when I have the opportunity to talk to people about it through my artwork, I see that light bulb come on,” says multimedia artist Erin Genia SM ’19, who is Dakota, an enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. “It’s wonderful to have those interactions and to be able to really connect.”
A performance artist, painter, and sculptor, Genia also embraces traditional Dakota art forms, such as beadwork and the carving of sacred stone (pipestone). Whatever the media, Genia works to address social issues such as climate change and institutional racism.
#indigenous #artist #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
View the video without audio description: youtu.be/8MfWqORXF8o
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2022 MIT Holiday E-greeting team
Creative director: Emily Muldoon Kathan
Core team: Brielle Domings, Mary Zyskowski
Animation: kerpy
Video production: Bearwalk Cinema
Creative guidance: Laura Babic, Julie Fox, Heather Garcia, Brian Geer, Carrie Johnson, Gretchen Lambert, Johnny Lin, Jay London, Barbara Malec, Kathryn O’Neill, Martha Eddison Sieniewicz, Erica Voigt, Katha Washburn, Aaron Weinberger
Email and digital production: Alex Barber, Russell Boulais, Greg Bourne, Gina D'Allesandro, Emily Dufresne, Carla Kasey, Kimberly Mancino, Kate Repantis, Steve Thomas, Margaret Wong
And MIT Alumni Association Chief Executive Officer Whitney T. Espich
With special thanks to community members:
Elena Byrne, Chelsea Conard, Cameron Garcia, Dansil Green, Rameen Hayat Malik, Mrigi Munjal, Leslie Rock, Joel Voldman
Alchemist © 2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VEGAP, Madrid
Full video here: youtu.be/G4Nx7WF2PHk
Read the story on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3WeZcYx
#shorts #cleantech #sustainability #watercrisis #manufacturing #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Manufacturing requires water, and lots of it. A medium-sized semiconductor fabrication plant uses upwards of 10 million gallons of water a day. In a world increasingly plagued by droughts, this dependence on water poses a major challenge.
Gradiant offers a solution to this water problem. Cofounded by Anurag Bajpayee SM ’08, PhD ’12 and Prakash Govindan PhD ’12, the company is a pioneer in sustainable—or “cleantech”—water projects.
“The idea here is to give nature its water back, to elevate water to the level of respect that it deserves as an essential resource for life,” says Bajpayee, who serves as CEO of Gradiant. “If we can do that while allowing industry to thrive and while allowing standards of living to improve, then we’ve come close to accomplishing our mission.”
#cleantech #sustainability #watercrisis #manufacturing #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
An audio-described version of this video is available: youtu.be/TmN4b_Dx34M
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2022 MIT Holiday E-greeting team
Creative director: Emily Muldoon Kathan
Core team: Brielle Domings, Mary Zyskowski
Animation: kerpy
Video production: Bearwalk Cinema
Creative guidance: Laura Babic, Julie Fox, Heather Garcia, Brian Geer, Carrie Johnson, Gretchen Lambert, Johnny Lin, Jay London, Barbara Malec, Kathryn O’Neill, Martha Eddison Sieniewicz, Erica Voigt, Katha Washburn, Aaron Weinberger
Email and digital production: Alex Barber, Russell Boulais, Greg Bourne, Gina D'Allesandro, Emily Dufresne, Carla Kasey, Kimberly Mancino, Kate Repantis, Steve Thomas, Margaret Wong
And MIT Alumni Association Chief Executive Officer Whitney T. Espich
With special thanks to community members:
Elena Byrne, Chelsea Conard, Cameron Garcia, Dansil Green, Rameen Hayat Malik, Mrigi Munjal, Leslie Rock, Joel Voldman
Alchemist © 2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VEGAP, Madrid
Turkey origami design and folding by Jason Ku '09, SM '11, PhD '16, PD '16
Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3gC4XjD
Full video here: youtu.be/lPK4c5AoFFY
Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3T5rnIi
#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #stroke #strokeawareness #worldstrokeday
#shorts #piano #drop #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
A stroke in 2010 left Debra Meyerson '79, SM '80 and her family embarking on the emotional journey of rebuilding identity and a purposeful life in the face of disability. In summer 2022, she and her husband, Steve Zuckerman, led a 4,500-mile cross-country bike trip for stroke awareness as part of their organization, @strokeonward.
"MIT taught me that big things are possible," Meyerson says.
An identity scholar from Stanford University, Meyerson knew that rebuilding her identity was a key part of her recovery, but she and her family found that the stroke healthcare system in the US had little resources available to them. Meyerson and Zuckerman started Stroke Onward to fill that gap.
"What Deb learned and the aspirations she inherited from her time [at MIT]," Zuckerman says, "we really want to focus on systems change."
#cycling #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #stroke #strokeawareness #strokerecovery #crosscountry #alumni
Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3vlyHWx
#shorts #space #boeing #nasa #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #rocket
Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3OIBY8V
#shorts #volunteer #caravan #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #affordablehousing
Where were you when you weren't in class at MIT?
Full video here: youtu.be/pdn7ye_N-CU
Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3elXowh
#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #firstdayofschool
Full video here: youtu.be/daFiloB1xyc
Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3HGNiAG
#shorts #tornado #stormchaser #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #weather
Full video here: youtu.be/_4-sTissdao
#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #reunion
At MIT Tech Reunions 2022, we asked MIT alumni to finish the phrase, "When I was at MIT and I wasn't in class, you could find me..." From hanging out in the MIT Lab for Chocolate Science to sailing in the Charles River, MIT alumni recall where they spent their time outside of class. "The big secret is that we have way more fun at MIT than anyone could ever image," says Bill Perry '72.
Where were you when you weren't in class at MIT?
#massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #firstdayofschool
Full video here: youtu.be/xDDmFu3JEbg
Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3HWL3bs
#shorts #food #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #urbanplanning #farms #fastfood
Full video here: youtu.be/7DgeIzJilNA
Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3wFoIv8
#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #data #textiles #art #datascience #bigdata
Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3BhOBor
#shorts #solar #car #electricvehicle #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3oAkQHU
#shorts #augmentedreality #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #gaming #ecommerce
Full video here: youtu.be/H5bCoRRHsqk
Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3C84jjB
#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #robot #farming
Full video here: youtu.be/9AnoR498RHI
Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3pxf1vd
#shorts #robotics #robots #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #architecture #furniture #origami #alumni
Black alums and students in research roles will compete for $2,000 in prizes for best communicating their research to a panel of accomplished alumni in a fast-paced virtual pitch competition.
Slam Presenters:
Janelle Fouche '11, Harvard University
Stewart Isaacs, SM '19, MIT
Jasmin Joseph-Chazan '18, Harvard
Quilee Simeon '21, MIT
Phela Townsend MBA '13, Rutgers University
Herbert Turner '22, MIT
Slam Judges:
Alden Allen '02
K'Andrea Bickerstaff '89
Debra Carlton '75
Slam Moderator:
Tisha Turner MBA '02, CFA, CAIA, FRM
Chief Operating Investment Officer, New Jersey Division of Investment
Attendees can join the fun too, interacting with and learning from both aspiring and established researchers working on some of the world's grand challenges. And live polling will contribute to an audience-choice award to complement the judges' communications awards.
Audience participation is open to the entire MIT community. Register now to:
• Learn about new areas of research
• Network and chat with fellow alumni
• Polish your communication skills
Eligible competitors must be Black MIT students, alums, postdocs, research scientists, independent researchers or non-tenured faculty members at accredited colleges or universities who are doing research in any discipline. If you wish to add your name to the list of presenters please email alumsigs@mit.edu no later than March 18th.
More and more investors and impact funds are talking about “Gender Lens Investing.” What is “Gender Lens Investing”? How do we “empower” women? By investing in women-led companies, by closing the global gender gap in the labor market, and by promoting financial welfare of women? And why is gender lens investing beneficial, and how should an investor join this movement?
We are delighted to have three leading voices in “Gender Lens Investing” join our panel discussion.
Our first speaker is Patience Marime-Ball, Founder and CEO of Women of the World Endowment (WoWE). Patience is deeply experienced in capital markets, including debt and equity financing, large scale infrastructure investments, distressed assets (restructuring and settlements), deal structuring and negotiation, interpretation of laws and regulation, as well as investment in early stage companies. The mission of WoWE is to make the gender landscape more equitable through the power of action-oriented feedback loops and access to the right capital at the right time.
Our second speaker is Sharon Vosmek, CEO of Astia and Managing Partner of Astia Fund. Sharon was appointed CEO of Astia in 2007, and she’s been transforming the global organization ever since. The mission of Astia is to invest, advise, and partner with women to level the investment playing field. Under her leadership, Astia has grown from 20 individuals in Silicon Valley to the global community of more than 5,000 investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders that make up its investment ecosystem today..
Our last speaker is Luke Wilcox, Founder and CEO of Ethos. Luke has led tech start-ups, social impact organizations, and strategy engagements for Fortune 500 companies. He is passionate about helping everyone participate in values-based investing. Ethos is a first-of-its-kind FinTech platform to align investors’ money with the causes they care about, including gender lens investing. To support value-based investing, Ethos uses more than 260 credible metrics from non-corporate data sources as well as data directly from corporations to rate public companies.
Come to hear about the latest thinking in “Gender Lens Investing,” and how to align you capital with this movement by investing in private market funds and public market companies and funds.
About MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group
The mission of the MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group (SEAG) is to bring together MIT alumni and like-minded people to co-create a better world through social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Visit us at MIT SEAG Community Platform.
Dr. Kim is the Director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center (CTC) of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. She was also the first female transplant surgeon to join the CTC. Dr. Kim is an expert in liver and kidney transplantation.
Dr. Kim will discuss her path to transplant surgery and to becoming the Director of CTC, and how she overcame the challenges along the way, including being a woman and a person of color in the non-diverse transplant surgery field. Dr. Kim will also discuss what it means to her and what it takes to be a transplant surgeon, how her experience informed her view about life, what she is most proud of, and her vision for the future of transplant surgery. Dr. Kim will also discuss how she maintains work-life balance, and how her Korean heritage affects her work and life.
Dr. Kim’s presentation will be followed by Q&A. Please bring your questions. We encourage your active participation during the Q&A.
We are pleased to present:
Dr. Irene K. Kim, MD FACS (MIT SB ’99, Biology) is the Director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center (CTC) at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, and is an expert in liver and kidney transplantation. Dr. Kim received her Bachelor of Science degree from MIT, followed by her doctorate in medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She then completed her residency in general surgery at the Tufts Medical Center and her fellowship in abdominal transplantation at Stanford University. She is a published investigator in the management of highly HLA-sensitized transplant patients and was awarded the Leslie B. Brent Award by the Transplantation Society in 2015 for best scientific manuscript. In 2020, she was elected as Councilor for the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and as a Board member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the governing body that oversees and adjudicates the nation’s transplant and organ procurement system. Further, Dr. Kim holds important leadership positions in both national and international surgical and transplant societies, including the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, UNOS/OPTN, the International Liver Transplant Society, the International Pediatric Transplant Association, and the Society of University Surgeons.
Moderator Wean Khing Wong, Esq. (MIT SB '84, Biology) is a multilingual and multicultural attorney, mediator, consultant, trainer, and life coach with an American and international client base. She is a court-appointed mediator for the California Court of Appeal, 2nd Appellate District. She has taught mediation and multicultural interactions to senior international judicial officers. She was also a Hearing Officer for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office. Wean Khing authored award-winning law and mediation articles; and teaches Continuing Legal Education. She is a life coach. For example, she coaches clients who are in conflict, life- and/or career-transitions. Wean Khing holds a California Bar license and a US Patent Attorney license. She has an MA in Counseling Psychology and is the Founding President of the MIT Chinese Alumni Group.
The MIT Chinese Alumni Group webinars are free and open to the public.
All MIT alumni/ae, students, Sloan fellows, and affiliates are welcome to join the MIT Chinese Alumni Group. You do not have to be Chinese. Please visit here to join us and to be added to our event invite list. You will need an Infinite Connection account to join us. You may create your account here. We look forward to seeing you.
Climate change is undoubtedly the biggest threat modern humans have ever faced. It is a “crisis multiplier” that affects every aspects of human life, including food security, natural resources, and habitable land. How can we, as entrepreneurs and investors, work together to blunt this threat?
We have three speakers who are leading practitioners in climate change investing.
Our first speaker is Jesse Simmons, Director of Research and Advisory at Capshift.Jess will introduce us to the type of solutions and investment strategies that are available to help mitigate negative effects of climate change.
Our second speaker is Dario Parziale, Director of Investment Research and Analysis at Toniic.Dario will address climate change investments in private markets.
Our last speaker is Jennifer McFarlane, board director and advisor to global clean tech and social impact companies. Jennifer will address climate change investments in public markets.
Whether you are an investor looking for investment opportunities or a social entrepreneur who wants to understand an investor’s mindset in climate change investing, you will gain valuable insights by attending this webinar.
About MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group
The mission of the MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group (SEAG) is to bring together MIT alumni and like-minded people to co-create a better world through social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Visit us at MIT SEAG Community Platform.
In this live webcast from April 21, 2022, Ramón Bueno ’74, SM ’77, leads the discussion on resilient and clean power with two speakers deeply immersed in Puerto Rico’s rebuilding efforts and its lessons for many regions around the world.
Agustín Carbó-Lugo, EDF Energy Transition Manager, shares insights from his work on resilience and energy justice challenges. In 2014, the Puerto Rico Energy Transformation and RELIEF Act created the first utility regulator on the island. As the first president of the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau, he helped develop its first 20-year, Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), with an eye to equitable service for all Puerto Ricans.
Professor Marcel Castro-Sitiriche, is co-director of this event's co-sponsor, the Center for Hemispherical Cooperation in Research and Education in Engineering and Applied Science (CoHemis) at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. He discusses the lessons learned about the need to redefine “clean energy” and “critical infrastructure” and the importance of listening to community input. Appropriate technology is needed to address electric power vulnerabilities as well as resources for installation and operations and maintenance. Building a better, decentralized and resilient power future depends on previous knowledge on the ground and full consideration of finding solutions equitable to all.
Speaker Bios
Ramón Bueno ’74 MS ’77 worked in decision-support and business intelligence systems before turning to climate impacts modeling and equitable resilience. He was part of the Climate Economics Group first at Tufts University’s Global Development & Environment Institute (GDAE) then partnered with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Starting with an aeronautics & astronautics degree, Ramón went on to study systems modeling and optimal estimation & control. He has years of experience developing business decision and intelligence tools for optimal solutions. He serves on Somerville (MA)’s Public Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change.
Agustín Carbó-Lugo, Energy Transition manager for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in San Juan, P.R., since 2019. He was the first president of the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (formerly the Puerto Rico Energy Commission) in 2014 and served until 2017. Agustín worked for the U.S. EPA and has been Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Solid Waste Authority. He has advised various national and international private, public and non-profit organizations. A graduate of Vermont Law School, Agustín holds a BS in civil and MS in environmental engineering from Northeastern University, and an MEM from Yale University in environmental policy analysis.
Marcel Castro-Sitiriche is professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and co-director of the Center for Hemispherical Cooperation in Research and Education in Engineering and Applied Science (CoHemis) at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez (UPRM). Marcel has research interests that include energy justice, appropriate technology, rural electrification and solar microgrids. He holds a BS in electrical engineering from UPRM and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Howard University.
Use of data science and artificial intelligence (AI) are undoubtedly driving technology innovations in the 21st Century. Autonomous cars, virtual voice assistants, and many other products will not have flourished without advancement in these fields. How relevant is advancement in data science/AI in improving lives of low-income people in developing countries? Can use of data science/AI enable social enterprises to scale their impact faster? Are significant investments being made to realize these benefits? We pose these and other questions to our speakers.
We are delighted to have two social entrepreneurs and one impact VC on this panel to share their thoughts on this topic.
• Jacob Rosenbloom, CEO and Co-founder of Levee
Jacob is a mission-driven entrepreneur. Fascinated by the ability of technology to generate profit by both correcting economic inefficiencies and increasing opportunity for everyone, Jacob is on his third venture in the work space at Levee. Jacob started in finance and quickly moved to entrepreneurship. Although born and educated in US, Jacob has lived in Latin America for the last 15 years. Jacob has a BS in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford and MBA and Masters in International Studies from The Wharton School.
• Kalyan Siva, CEO and Co-founder of 5C Network
Kalyan doesn’t believe in following the norms and has a unique way of approaching problems. One of the primary career aims of Kalyan is to make India healthier by making accurate and timely diagnoses possible in every part of the country. He sees 5C Network as getting prepared to lead the next big health transformation in India. Kalyan has a BS in Computer Science from National Institute of Technology Karnataka and studied law post-graduation at National Law School of India University.
• Daniel Block, Investment Principal at Mercy Corps Ventures
Dan leads investment sourcing and portfolio management across Latin America and Africa with a focus on climate adaptation and financial resilience at Mercy Corps Ventures. He began his career on Wall Street before transitioning into emerging markets impact investing 8 years ago. Prior to joining Mercy Corps, Dan worked with I-DEV International, a boutique social impact advisory firm, Finnovista, a leading fintech hub in Latam, and Global Innovation Fund, a growth-stage impact-first investor in Africa and Asia. He is currently based in DC and has lived and worked in Peru, Mexico, Chile, East and West Africa. Dan studied at Brown University.
Whether your interest is in investing or entrepreneurship, attend this webinar to hear directly from our fantastic speakers who are in the field accelerating and scaling positive social outcomes in developing countries.
About MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group
The mission of the MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group (SEAG) is to bring together MIT alumni and like-minded people to co-create a better world through social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Visit us at MIT SEAG Community Platform.
In this live webcast from March 28, 2022, Jeff Benoit SM '89 and John Gaertner SM '73 shared insights on the current search for making green H2 practical and price competitive to fossil gas for generating electricity, whose price has recently spiked. Already a fuel for high-heat industry, it could be a permanent or transition option for no-carbon energy. Our speakers expertise in pathways to generate electricity with H2 tech and developing green (or pink, nuclear) supply made for an interesting discussion.
Speaker bios:
JohnGaertner, SM '73, Atmospheric Science, is a consultant on climate change and energy. He recently authored a Review of Duke Energy’s Climate Strategy and participated in workshops to develop a Southeast U.S. Hydrogen Hub to assess and develop a transition from fossil fuels. John was Technical Executive of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and previously had been Senior Vice President of ERIN Engineering and Research and an engineer with Duke Energy. John held a Professional Engineer license in North Carolina until his recent (semi-)retirement.
Jeff Benoit SM '89 is Vice President - Global Strategy & Marketing at Power Systems Mfg, LLC (PSM), part of the Hanwha Group. Within the past two decades, the company has evolved into the leading aftermarket service providers of OEM gas turbines used by power generation operators worldwide. In his current role as strategist, Jeff is responsible for identifying and delivering new business opportunities leveraging PSM's proven high-hydrogen combustion system platforms. These systems are designed to be retrofitted into the installed fleet of gas turbines, using blended or 100% hydrogen fuels for the transition to a decarbonized future.
For more than 30 years, Jeff has been actively engaged in technology development for the power industry, from aviation, nuclear and wind to industrial gas turbines. He first worked as a steam turbine engineer for GE, and he has published papers and holds several patents. He is an active member of ASME, the Gas Turbine Association and the European Turbine Network.
The name Dye is synonymous with iconic golf course architecture. Pete Dye’s legacy continues with his niece, Cynthia Dye McGarey, who collaborated with her uncle in the creation of many renowned Dye courses and has become an established course architect in her own right. Cynthia is one of the very few successful female course architects in a male-dominated profession, building courses in some of the most difficult and unexpected locations on earth. In this MIT Alumni Forum event, Cynthia discusses her life and career, offering insights into the world of course architects and the specifics of course design with MIT Alumni Golf Association Board member Ken Wang ’71.
Featured Speakers:
Cynthia Dye McGarey, golf course architect;
Kenneth Wang ’71, MIT Alumni Golfers Association Board


