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Said and Done for September 2012

Digest of MIT humanities, arts, and social sciences.
Moon Jellyfish, from story by Fangfei Shan, Graduate Program in Science Writing.
Caption:
Moon Jellyfish, from story by Fangfei Shan, Graduate Program in Science Writing.
Credits:
Photo: <a href="http://www.lucnix.be" target="_blank">Luc Viatour</a>
Ta-Nehisi Coates, MLK Visiting Scholar
Caption:
Ta-Nehisi Coates, MLK Visiting Scholar

Said and Done is the monthly, photo-rich publication from MIT's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, integrating feature articles with news, research and events to give you a distilled overview of the school's endeavors. For the complete edition, visit Said and Done. A few of this month's highlights include:

HONORS AND AWARDS

David Pesetsky elected a fellow of the Linguistics Society of America
Pesetsky, a professor of linguistics, has been elected a fellow of the Linguistic Society of America. The induction ceremony for the 2013 class of fellows will take place on Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, at the LSA Annual Meeting in Boston.
More

Economist Parag Pathak receives a Presidential Early Career Award
President Barack Obama has named Parag Pathak, associate professor of economics, as a recipient of an Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers. Pathak, who was nominated by the National Science Foundation, was honored for innovative and challenging research in market design, education and housing and for work with local school administrators throughout the United States that has resulted in more fair and efficient ways to assign children to magnet schools.
Profile of Parag Pathak | White House Web Story

Seth Mnookin wins 2012 Science in Society Award for his book The Panic Virus
Mnookin, assistant professor of science writing and co-director of the Graduate Program in Science Writing, has been awarded the 2012 Science in Society Journalism Award for his book The Panic Virus: The True Story Behind the Vaccine-Autism Controversy. Tom Levenson, professor of science writing notes, "This is one of the very top awards in our field. It reflects the judgment of the leading science writing association in the world and it is an honor that only comes to superlative work."
Full Story

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Sept. 21-22, 7:30 p.m., Institute of Contemporary Art | ICA Boston
"World of Wires" by Jay Scheib
Based on the 1973 film Welt am Draht by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, World of Wires is a high-energy, thrill-ride performance. With video, live action, and tightly choreographed movements, this Obie award-winning play by Associate Professor of Theater Jay Scheib, explores the contemporary challenges of defining identity.
More at the ICA website

Sept. 24, 5 p.m., MIT Faculty Club, E52
Writing for a Wider Audience: shaping scholarship into general literature
Distinguished panelists discuss shaping scholarship into books for a general audience. Panelists include Caroline Zimmerman, literary agent, Kneerim & Williams; Alane Salierno Mason, VP and executive editor, W.W. Norton & Company; James Marcus, deputy editor, Harper's Magazine, and Stephen Heuser, editor, Ideas Section, The Boston Globe.
More

Sept. 27, 7:30 pm, MIT Stata Center, 32-123
Reading by Junot Díaz
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and professor of writing reads from his new book, This is How You Lose Her. The event is free, with a reception following.
More

Additional Events
MIT SHASS Calendar | Arts at MIT Calendar | Music & Theater Arts Calendar

RESEARCH

Research Portfolio
Research is the engine for the school's capacity to help meet the world's great challenges. To name just a few areas of impact, MIT SHASS research helps alleviate poverty, safeguard elections, steer economies, understand the past and present, inform health policy, articulate morality, assess the impact of new technologies, understand human language, and create new forms at the juncture of art and science.
Research Portfolio

Bookshelf
The research of MIT's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences appears principally in the form of books and publications, and music and theater productions. These gems of the school provide new knowledge and analysis, innovation and insight, guidance for policy, and nourishment for lives.
Take a look

Understanding gambling addiction
Anthropologist Natasha Schüll, an associate professor in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, is publishing research about the impact of the immersive technology of new gambling games; designed to increase industry profits by keeping players "in the zone," the new games prove highly addictive for some people.
Story at MIT News | Video: Schüll on 60 Minutes

Want to cut drug spending? Air pollution rules might help.
A working paper, co-authored by MIT economist Michael Greenstone, concludes that a U.S. government program set up in 2003 to reduce smog-forming compounds in certain regions both saved lives and led to lower spending on pharmaceuticals — particularly heart and respiratory medications.
Article at the Washington Post | Wonkblog

COMMUNITY

Faculty promotions
The MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is very pleased to announce the following faculty promotions, effective July 1, 2012: Helen Elaine Lee (CMS/Writing) and Ben Olken (Economics) have been promoted to full professor. Martin Hackl (Linguistics) and Keeril Makan (Music), have been promoted to associate professor with tenure.
More

Profile | Saluting Susan Mannett
On the occasion of her retirement, the community salutes Sue Mannett, the longtime SHASS director of human resources extraordinaire.
Salute to Sue | Photogallery

Author Ta-Nehisi Coates is 2012-13 MLK Visiting Scholar
Acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates will join the school community for the 2012-13 academic year in the Comparative Media Studies/Writing Program.
More

Dirksen, Panko and Szablewicz are Mellon Felllows for 2012-2014
This fellowship supports promising young scholars who work in more than one specialty within the humanities, or whose work bridges from the humanities to science, technology or architecture. We are delighted to welcome our three new Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows for 2012-2014 — Rebecca Dirksen, Julia Panko and Marcella Szablewicz — and to welcome back the Mellon Fellows for 2011-2013 and 2010-2012.
More

New Faculty | Fall 2012
The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is pleased to present the newest members of the faculty. Please join us in welcoming these excellent scholars to the School community: Devin Caughey(Instructor, Political Science); Stephanie Frampton (Assistant Professor, Literature); Heather Hendershot (Professor of Film and Media, CMS); Daniel Hidalgo (Assistant Professor, Political Science); Seth Mnookin (Assistant Professor, CMS/Science Writing); Emily Richmond Pollock (Assistant Professor, Music); Alp Simsek (Assistant Professor, Economics); Paolo Somaini (Assistant Professor, Economics); T.L. Taylor (Associate Professor, CMS/Writing); Christopher Warshaw (Assistant Professor, Political Science).
Biographical Notes and Photographs

Edward Schiappa is Visiting Professor | Three from Taiwan-USA Alliance are Visiting Scholars
Edward Schiappa is a Visiting Professor in Comparative Media Studies for 2012-2013; three members of the Taiwan-USA Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA) will join the School as Visiting Scholars for 2012-2013.
Biographical Notes and Photographs

Three new Administrative Officers join the School
Elouise Evee-Jones, Sarah Smith, and Amberly Steward have been chosen to serve as the Administrative Officers for Foreign Languages and Literatures, Comparative Media Studies, and Anthropology, respectively.
Biographical Notes and Photographs

NEWS

Deveau lauded for performance and leadership | Boston Musical Intelligencer
Boston Musical Intelligencer acclaims David Deveau, MIT senior lecturer in music, as a pianist and as the artistic director of Rockport Music.
Full story

John Harbison at the 2012 Aspen Music Festival l Interview + Performance
MIT's Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Institute Professor John Harbison talks about his jazz roots and performs delicious jazz selections on piano.
Audio Interview

On Jellyfish Blooms
Feature article by MIT graduate student Fangfei Shen, in Scope Magazine, publication of the MIT SHASS Graduate Program in Science Writing
Story at Scope Magazine

Becoming a Science Writer | Tom Levenson interview in Scientific American
Levenson, MIT Professor of Science Writing, and award-winning author and film producer, shares his insights about the field, and how to succeed as a science writer. Interview at Scientific American

Interview with Junot Díaz | New York Times Sunday Book Review
Q: What's the last truly great book you read?
Interview at The New York Times

Said and Done | September 2012 | complete edition online



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