Illuminating the Amazing Work of Bird Brains MIT Alumni Association 2026-09-19 | Illuminating the Amazing Work of Bird Brains
Technology Day 2023: Research from Above and Beyond: MIT in Space Faculty Presentations (continued) MIT Alumni Association 2023-07-11 | During Tech Day, MIT faculty leaders shared their research on space, which included nanosatellites, manufacturing oxygen on Mars, using black holes to help test fundamental theories of our universe, and exploring the surface of Saturn’s moon, Titan.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-day0:00 Overview of MIT Better World Alumni Service Award and awards ceremony by Stephen Baker7:47 Exploring Earth's Twin—Taylor Perron16:23 Black Hole Echoes and Music of the Cosmos—Erin Kara 28:57 Q&A with Maria Zuber52:39 A Conversation with the ISS
Technology Day 2023: Research from Above and Beyond: MIT in Space: Faculty Presentations MIT Alumni Association 2023-07-10 | During Tech Day, MIT faculty leaders shared their research on space, which included nanosatellites, manufacturing oxygen on Mars, using black holes to help test fundamental theories of our universe, and exploring the surface of Saturn’s moon, Titan.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-day0:00 Welcome from MITAA CEO Whitney Espich4:40 Nanosatellites for Weather and Communications—Kerri Cahoy13:34 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
MIT Alumni Forum | The Human Microbiome: Health Sciences New Frontier MIT Alumni Association 2023-06-08 | MIT is pioneering microbiome research and discovery to develop new microbiome therapeutics to improve health at lower cost to society. The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics (CMIT) was established to bring an engineering approach to understanding the role of the human microbiome, and to realize microbiome-based precision medicine and treatments for diseases and diagnoses currently without effective treatments, including Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), autism, depression, diabetes type 1, scleroderma, and other autoimmune diseases.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.
AMITA Ellen Swallow Richards Professorship Series Professor Sara Seager MIT Alumni Association 2023-05-25 | This year we celebrate the milestone of 150 years since Ellen Swallow Richards (MIT’s first alumna) graduated from MIT. AMITA helped to fund the Ellen Swallow Richards Professorship to increase the number of tenured women faculty at MIT. To commemorate the milestone, we will have a series of women who have held this chair give presentations over the coming year. This is the first such presentation from Sara Seager, a professor in Physics, Aero and Astro, and Planetary Science, former Ellen Swallow Richards Professor and current holder of the Class of 1941 Professorship. For thousands of years, inspired by the star-filled dark night sky, people have wondered what lies beyond Earth. Today, the search for signs of life is a key factor in modern-day planetary exploration. Professor Sara Seager will share the latest advances in the revolutionary fields of exoplanets and astrobiology. Guaranteed to be a fascinating presentation.
Black Graduate Celebration 2023 MIT Alumni Association 2023-05-24 | BAMIT is proud to sponsor the 2023 Black Graduate Celebration, an annual tradition. At this joyous event we will recognize and honor Black undergraduate and graduate students who are graduating from MIT.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.
Three words that reveal you went to MIT MIT Alumni Association 2023-05-06 | What word, phrase, or acronym would reveal you went to MIT? Here are the top three responses.Full video here: youtu.be/1uVh0WEXKe4Read the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/41PXFeX#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Do You Speak MIT? MIT Alumni Association 2023-05-03 | Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/41PXFeXIn 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
Lets Get Together and Celebrate at Tech Reunions | June 1–4, 2023 MIT Alumni Association 2023-03-22 | Register for Tech Reunions today: https://alum.mit.edu/reunionsLet’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
Its not for the faint of heart. | MIT Womens Varsity Crew Celebrates 50 Years MIT Alumni Association 2023-03-14 | #shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #titleix #rowing #alumni
This bluegrass band started at MIT MIT Alumni Association 2023-02-17 | After earning MIT doctorates, married alumni Sharon Horovitch PhD ’80 and James Muller SM '82, PhD ’83 hit the road with their bluegrass band, Southern Rail, and never looked back.Full video here: youtu.be/1uVh0WEXKe4Read the story on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3jINtE2#bluegrass #banjo #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Listen to This Bluegrass Band That Started at MIT | Making Beautiful Music Together MIT Alumni Association 2023-02-13 | Read more about Jim Muller SM '82, PhD '83 and Sharon Horovitch PhD '80 and their band, Southern Rail, on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3jINtE2Jim 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
MITCAG How Can Asian American Leaders Unite to Advance Causes MIT Alumni Association 2023-02-09 | The MIT Chinese Alumni Group is pleased to host two pioneers: Bill Lee, who was the first Chinese American to serve as City Administrator in a major U.S. city, and Rodney A. Fong, who is the first Chinese American to serve as the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce in a major U.S. city.
Dr. Mariana Matus, PhD ’18, CEO and Cofounder at Biobot Analytics MIT Alumni Association 2023-02-03 | Dr. Mariana Matus, PhD ’18, CEO and Cofounder at Biobot Analytics, was the keynote speaker at the AMITA Ellen Swallow Richards Holiday and Birthday Celebration on December 4, 2022. Dr. Matus is a computational biologist passionate about leveraging big data and analytics to improve human health. Her topic on “Air, water and food” brought an exciting perspective on current opportunities and challenges in the field over a century after the initial studies of Ellen Swallow Richards on air, water and food from a sanitary standpoint. Dr. Matus' work following the steps of Ellen Swallow Richards is a testimony to the contribution of extraordinary MIT women towards progress of science.
This MIT Alumnas Art Centers Indigenous Philosophies MIT Alumni Association 2023-01-31 | Erin Genia SM '19, a multimedia artist who is Dakota, an enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, believes Indigenous philosophies are often not well known or understood. In her art, Genia addresses societal issues—such as institutional racism and climate change—through an Indigenous lens.Full video here: youtu.be/CdNS4mSHTTkRead the story on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3D9RTdP#shorts #indigenous #artist #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
MIT Alumni Forum - Functional Imaging of the Human Brain: A Window into the Architecture of the Mind MIT Alumni Association 2023-01-25 | The last 20 years of brain imaging research has revealed the functional organization of the human brain in glorious detail. According to MIT professor Nancy Kanwisher, this work has helped create a rough sketch of the organization of the human mind—and unveiled a vast landscape of unanswered questions. 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
Changing the World Through Art MIT Alumni Association 2023-01-25 | Read more about multimedia artist Erin Genia SM '19 on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3D9RTdP“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
MIT Holiday Greeting 2022 - with Audio Description [AD] MIT Alumni Association 2023-01-03 | Happy Holidays from MIT President Rafael Reif and Christine Reif!View the video without audio description: youtu.be/8MfWqORXF8o+++++++++++2022 MIT Holiday E-greeting teamCreative director: Emily Muldoon KathanCore team: Brielle Domings, Mary ZyskowskiAnimation: kerpyVideo production: Bearwalk CinemaCreative 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 WongAnd MIT Alumni Association Chief Executive Officer Whitney T. EspichWith special thanks to community members:Elena Byrne, Chelsea Conard, Cameron Garcia, Dansil Green, Rameen Hayat Malik, Mrigi Munjal, Leslie Rock, Joel VoldmanAlchemist © 2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VEGAP, Madrid
Alumni-Founded Company Saves Water for 5 Million Households MIT Alumni Association 2022-12-23 | At Gradiant, cofounders Anurag Bajpayee SM ’08, PhD ’12 and Prakash Govindan PhD ’12 want to give nature its water back. Gradiant is a pioneer in sustainable—or “cleantech”—water projects with a specific focus on solutions for manufacturing. The two @MITMechE alumni develop technologies to help treat and recycle more than 95 percent of an industrial plant's wastewater.Full video here: youtu.be/G4Nx7WF2PHkRead the story on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3WeZcYx#shorts #cleantech #sustainability #watercrisis #manufacturing #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Water Treatment Startup Is Cleaning Up Manufacturing MIT Alumni Association 2022-12-16 | Read more about @MITMechE alumni–founded Gradiant on Slice of MIT: http://bit.ly/3WeZcYxManufacturing 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
MIT Holiday Greeting 2022 MIT Alumni Association 2022-12-15 | Happy Holidays from MIT President Rafael Reif and Christine Reif!An audio-described version of this video is available: youtu.be/TmN4b_Dx34M+++++++++++2022 MIT Holiday E-greeting teamCreative director: Emily Muldoon KathanCore team: Brielle Domings, Mary ZyskowskiAnimation: kerpyVideo production: Bearwalk CinemaCreative 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 WongAnd MIT Alumni Association Chief Executive Officer Whitney T. EspichWith special thanks to community members:Elena Byrne, Chelsea Conard, Cameron Garcia, Dansil Green, Rameen Hayat Malik, Mrigi Munjal, Leslie Rock, Joel VoldmanAlchemist © 2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VEGAP, Madrid
MIT-Themed Cookies for the Holidays 🦫 MIT Alumni Association 2022-12-01 | Cookie decoration and Tim the Beaver cookie cutter by MIT parent Shirley Villagaray P '13 from One Sharp Cookie Cutter.
How to Make a Thanksgiving Turkey the MIT Way 🦃 MIT Alumni Association 2022-11-24 | Download detailed folding instructions here: bit.ly/2OVw4mbTurkey origami design and folding by Jason Ku '09, SM '11, PhD '16, PD '16
MIT Overhauls Iconic Wind Tunnel MIT Alumni Association 2022-11-10 | MIT is now home to the most advanced academic wind tunnel in the US. Starting in 2019, the Institute replaced the iconic Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel to bring it up to modern testing standards.Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3gC4XjD
Stroke Survivor Cycles 4,500 Miles Across the US MIT Alumni Association 2022-10-29 | 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.Full video here: youtu.be/lPK4c5AoFFYRead the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3T5rnIi#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #stroke #strokeawareness #worldstrokeday
50 Years of Pushing Pianos off Baker House 🎹 💥 MIT Alumni Association 2022-10-27 | It's a bird...it's a plane...no it's a piano! The first Baker House Piano Drop occurred in October, 1972. MIT alumni share their memories of pianos dropping from Baker House for the last 50 years.#shorts #piano #drop #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
See Why This Stroke Survivor Biked 4,500 Miles Across the US MIT Alumni Association 2022-10-19 | Read more about Debra Meyerson '79, SM '80 and her cross-country bike trip on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3T5rnIiA 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
Wonder Woman of Rocket Science 🚀 MIT Alumni Association 2022-10-07 | Tiera Fletcher ’17 decided to become a rocket scientist at 11 years old. Almost 15 years later, she’s helped bring to life one of the most powerful rockets ever built—NASA’s Space Launch System.Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3vlyHWx#shorts #space #boeing #nasa #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #rocket
RV Road Trip for Humanity MIT Alumni Association 2022-09-28 | Joseph "Pepe" Fields ’67 is spending his retirement driving a recreational vehicle all over the US to build affordable housing with a Habitat for Humanity program called RV Care-A-Vanners.Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3OIBY8V#shorts #volunteer #caravan #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #affordablehousing
When I Wasnt in Class at MIT... MIT Alumni Association 2022-09-23 | 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.Where were you when you weren't in class at MIT?Full video here: youtu.be/pdn7ye_N-CURead the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3elXowh#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #firstdayofschool
Mind-Blowing Tornado Research🌪🚐 MIT Alumni Association 2022-09-13 | Howie Bluestein ’70, SM ’72, PhD ’76, @UniversityofOklahoma professor, has been chasing storms for over 40 years. He and his colleagues are working to build a new radar that can scan most of a storm’s volume in 15 seconds.Full video here: youtu.be/daFiloB1xycRead the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3HGNiAG#shorts #tornado #stormchaser #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #weather
You Know You Went to MIT If... 🎓 MIT Alumni Association 2022-09-07 | Here's what MIT alumni had to say when we asked them to finish the phrase, "You know you went to MIT if..."Full video here: youtu.be/_4-sTissdao#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #reunion
When I Wasnt in Class at MIT... MIT Alumni Association 2022-09-07 | Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3elXowhAt 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
Can Fast Food Be Healthy? 🤔 MIT Alumni Association 2022-09-02 | Cassandria Campbell MCP ’11 was heading out for dinner in Roxbury one night when she realized “unhealthy” fast food restaurants were her only nearby options. Used to better choices at MIT, she was inspired to found Fast Food Generation, which provides healthy, fast-casual meals to underserved populations. Full video here: youtu.be/xDDmFu3JEbgRead the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3HWL3bs#shorts #food #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #urbanplanning #farms #fastfood
Data Gets a Little Physical MIT Alumni Association 2022-08-25 | Laura Perovich SM ’14, PhD ’20 is using artistic approaches to make data more accessible. From life-size 3D bar charts to data stitched into clothing, Perovich’s work takes many forms depending on the data being represented.Full video here: youtu.be/7DgeIzJilNARead the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3wFoIv8#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #data #textiles #art #datascience #bigdata
The Driving Force Behind MIT’s Solar Car Team ☀️🚗 MIT Alumni Association 2022-08-17 | James Worden ’89 built his first solar electric vehicle in high school, helping him get admitted to MIT where he eventually started the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team.Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3BhOBor#shorts #solar #car #electricvehicle #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni
Will Augmented Reality Break the Internet? 🤯 MIT Alumni Association 2022-08-11 | At augmented reality technology company Illumix, founder and CEO Kirin Sinha ’14 has a vision “to build a platform, a piece of technology that would enable infinite experiences to exist.” It could change the way we live.Read more on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3oAkQHU#shorts #augmentedreality #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #gaming #ecommerce
This Tomato-Picking Robot Is the Future of Farming 🍅 🤖 MIT Alumni Association 2022-08-09 | Josh Lessing PhD ’12 is the CTO at AppHarvest, a company that develops technologies to automate and enhance food production like this tomato-picking robot.Full video here: youtu.be/H5bCoRRHsqkRead the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3C84jjB#shorts #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #alumni #robot #farming
Folding Robotic Furniture Transforms Small Spaces MIT Alumni Association 2022-08-05 | At the click of a button, Ori's robotic furniture can transform a living room into an office, bedroom, or dining room—developing a concept that emerged from the MIT Media Lab. CEO Hasier Larrea SM ’15 began the venture with cofounders Chad Bean ’14, Carlos Rubio ’14, MEng ’15, Ivan Casadevante, and Professor Kent Larson, who runs the MIT City Science research group. Full video here: youtu.be/9AnoR498RHIRead the story on Slice of MIT: bit.ly/3pxf1vd#shorts #robotics #robots #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #architecture #furniture #origami #alumni
BAMIT 2022 Research Slam MIT Alumni Association 2022-07-21 | Join us for the Black Alumni/ae of MIT Research Slam from March 23, 2022, an online-only event celebrating alumni researchers. 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 UniversityStewart Isaacs, SM '19, MITJasmin Joseph-Chazan '18, HarvardQuilee Simeon '21, MITPhela Townsend MBA '13, Rutgers UniversityHerbert Turner '22, MITSlam Judges:Alden Allen '02K'Andrea Bickerstaff '89Debra Carlton '75Slam Moderator:Tisha Turner MBA '02, CFA, CAIA, FRMChief Operating Investment Officer, New Jersey Division of InvestmentAttendees 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 skillsEligible 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.
SEAG | Social and Financial Returns from Gender Lens Investing MIT Alumni Association 2022-07-11 | In this live webcast from March 30, 2022, the MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group (SEAG) hosts a conversation about “How to Invest with Gender Lens.”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 GroupThe 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.
MIT Chinese Alumni Group | My Path to Transplant Surgery MIT Alumni Association 2022-07-11 | Join us for the MIT Chinese Alumni Group webinar from May 26, 2022, on My Path to Transplant Surgery featuring speaker Dr. Irene K. Kim, MD (MIT SB ’99, Biology). Please click on the Registration button above to receive the Zoom link.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.
SEAG | The ABCs of Investing in Climate Change MIT Alumni Association 2022-07-11 | In this live webcast from February 9, 2022, the MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group (SEAG) invites you to explore “The ABCs of Investing in Climate Change”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 GroupThe 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.
EESN | Resilient, Clean Power - Lessons From Puerto Rico MIT Alumni Association 2022-07-11 | Climate-resilient clean energy is urgently needed as extreme weather batters communities around the world. When two powerful hurricanes hit Puerto Rico in 2017, they caused ~3,000 deaths, and many communities had no power for 6 – 11 months. 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 BiosRamón 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.
SEAG | Data Science and AI Transforming Investment Opportunities in Developing Countries MIT Alumni Association 2022-07-11 | In this live webcast from March 23, 2022, the MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group (SEAG) invites you to explore “Data Science and AI Transforming Investments opportunities in Developing Countries.”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 LeveeJacob 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 NetworkKalyan 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 VenturesDan 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 GroupThe 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.
EESN | Can Hydrogen be a Bridge to Carbon-Free Electricity? MIT Alumni Association 2022-07-11 | The first element, hydrogen (H2), stores energy almost as well as fossil fuels. Japan, Europe, and China are investing in hydrogen fuel supply and power generation in the search for no-carbon energy. Owners and operators of generating equipment, industrial heating and transportation are all potential markets.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.
MIT Alumni Golfers Association | Golf Architecture: An Unconventional Look MIT Alumni Association 2022-07-11 | This live webcast from March 31, 2022 was sponsored by the MIT Alumni Golfers Association. 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
