William Uricchio, professor of comparative media studies, has won a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was one of 184 Fellows selected from more than 3,200 applicants.
The California Institute of Techology has bestowed its Distinguished Alumnus Award on two MIT faculty members:Fernando J. Corbató, professor emeritus of electrical engineering and computer science, and Alan Lightman, adjunct professor in the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies. Corbató, who received the B.S. from Caltech in 1950, led the development of the Multiplexed Information and Computing Service (Multics), the precursor to the Internet. Lightman, who received the M.S. in 1973 and Ph.D. in 1974, has taught physics and astronomy and written more than a dozen books, including "Einstein's Dreams," "Good Benito" and the forthcoming "Reunion."
Lotte Bailyn, the T Wilson (1953) Professor In Management, has been awarded the Everett Cherrington Hughes Award for Careers Scholarship from the Careers Division of the Academy of Management. The award recognizes scholarship that has made a significant contribution to the task of linking careers theory with the broader field of organization studies.
Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, has awarded a graduate fellowship to Bradley D. Olsen, a senior in chemical engineering.
Institute Professor Sheila Widnall has won two honors recently. She received an honorary doctor of engineering degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and was named one of "100 Women Who Run This Town" by Boston Magazine. In its May issue, the magazine listed women who "get things done" and ranked them, "judging power by how many Bostonians are directly affected by their contributions." Widnall was listed at number 79. The article noted that she was the first woman to head the Air Force, a member of the Columbia shuttle accident investigation board, one of Discover magazine's 50 most important women in science, and originator of the "Widnall instability" theory, which explains why a smoke ring "wiggles" even in the absence of wind.
MIT was among 33 companies and organizations recently recognized as one of "New England's Commuter Choice Employers" for the strong commuter benefit packages they offer to workers. The honor was part of the "Best Workplaces for Commuters" campaign launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Massachusetts to boost commuter use of public transportation. "These organizations are setting the bar in providing real financial incentives to encourage employees to leave their cars at home and commute in ways that reduce traffic congestion and air pollution," said EPA regional administrator Robert W. Varney.
Oliver Thomas, an Athena team leader in Information Systems, is the 2003 Steven Wade Neiterman Award winner for his "unwavering dedication to MIT, quiet and mindful approach to solving problems, and constant commitment to exploration and education." The award was created by Neiterman's parents in memory of their son, an IS employee who died in 1998 after working at MIT for 11 years.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on June 4, 2003.
