PETER CHILD
Music and Theater Arts
B.A. in 1975 from Reed College; M.F.A. in 1978 and Ph.D. 1981 from Brandeis University.
Assistant professor of music, 1986; associate professor, 1990; associate professor with tenure, 1992; professor, 1996.
Colleague comment:
"Peter sees his work as an educator as a great deal more than teaching his classes. He feels a responsibility for supporting all his students--and others in the program as well--as artists. He nurtures their talent while introducing them to the rigors of the discipline."
Student comments:
"It was no accident that I went straight to Peter Child at the Activities Midway event my freshman year. From the beginning, he clearly had my interests in mind."
"I can't speak highly enough of the inspiration and excitement that Professor Child brought to my music studies, or of the universal respect and admiration that his students hold for him."
ISABELLE DE COURTIVRON
Foreign Languages and Literatures
B.A. with distinction in 1969 from Colby College; M.A. in 1970 and Ph.D. in 1973 from Brown University.
Visiting assistant professor of French, 1997; assistant professor, 1978; associate professor with tenure, 1984; professor, 1994.
Colleague:
"A natural leader and an exemplary teacher of MIT undergraduates. She is a legend."
Students:
"She is a mentor, a counselor, an advisor and a friend, as well as an example of intellectual leadership."
"Professor de Courtivron has been successful because she has led by example, because she has put her students' welfare first, and because she has made learning indistinguishable from everyday life."
JESUS A. DEL ALAMO
Electrical Engineering
Telecommunications Engineer degree in 1980 from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid; M.S. in 1983 and Ph.D. in 1985 from Stanford University.
Assistant professor of electrical engineering, 1988; ITT Career Development Assistant Professor, 1990; ITT Career Development Associate Professor, 1991; associate professor, 1993; professor, 1997.
Colleague:
"One of the department's superstar teachers."
Students:
"Professor del Alamo's lectures show me the ideal picture of how a lecture should be taught, in every aspect I can think of."
"Professor del Alamo is one of, if not the best, lecturer at MIT."
"Professor del Alamo organized his lectures in a way that students could effectively absorb the information. He explained complicated topics using simple examples and stressed the importance of knowing the boundaries of what was realistic."
BARBARA IMPERIALI
Chemistry
B.Sc. in 1979 from University College London; Ph.D. in 1983 from MIT.
Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Chemistry, 1999; Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Chemistry and professor of biology, 2002.
Colleague:
"I have encountered few MIT faculty who rival Barbara Imperiali in their dedication, caring attitude and sincere concern for students."
Students:
"Professor Imperiali taught like we truly were her impetus for becoming a professor."
"If the answer didn't become clear the first way, there would be two or three different explanations to clarify the subject, so you didn't have to worry."
"[I] was so impressed by her obvious deep interest in the subject, that I afterward declared a minor in chemistry."
IAN A. WAITZ
Aeronautics and Astronautics
B.S. in 1986 from Pennsylvania State University; M.S. in 1988 from George Washington University; Ph.D. in 1991 from the California Institute of Technology.
Charles Stark Draper Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, July to October 1991; Rockwell International Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1991; assistant professor, 1994; associate professor with tenure, 1998; professor, 2001.
Colleague:
"Ian cares deeply about his students, and it shows in everything he does in the classroom--in his preparation, in how he interacts with students, and in his desire to innovate and improve."
Students:
"Not only is he talented at conveying his storehouse of knowledge, but he inspires me to perform and take initiative in my learning."
"One of the nicest guys in the world, and he's able to simply convey the important messages in subject material he presents."
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on March 12, 2003.
