Ten from MIT accept 2026 Fulbright awards
This year, over half of MIT’s Fulbright applicants won awards. The current students and alumni will embark on research projects abroad in 2026-27.
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Bridging real human movement with digital technology
MIT.nano Immersion Lab collaborates with Emerson College students to advance the art of virtual production.
MIT affiliates elected to National Academy of Sciences for 2026
Six MIT faculty, along with 10 additional alumni, are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research in the natural and social sciences.
Building “hardcore” advanced machines
In 2.72/2.270 (Elements of Mechanical Design), “if it doesn’t break the laws of physics, it’s possible; you just have to figure out how to engineer it.”
A new unit of measurement to honor an influential MIT alumnus
In a nod to the prank that first introduced the smoot, an MIT team rolls out the “klein” in homage to Martin Klein ’62 and playfully renames a beloved Charles River span the “Shortfellow Bridge.”
Powerful shrinking technique could enable devices that compute with light
MIT researchers created tiny 3D photonic devices with features small enough to channel visible light.
MIT School of Engineering faculty receive awards in winter 2026
Faculty members and researchers were honored in recognition of their scholarship, service, and overall excellence.
Found Industries aims to strengthen America’s industrial supply chains
Founded by Peter Godart ’15, SM ’19, PhD ’21, the company has developed technologies for extracting critical metals and making fuel out of aluminum.
MIT engineers’ virtual violin produces realistic sounds
Based on the physics of how the instrument produces sound, the model could help violin makers in the design process.
With a swipe of a magnet, microscopic “magno-bots” perform complex maneuvers
MIT researchers’ new fabrication technique can produce soft, microscopic structures with magnetically activated moving parts.
Six from MIT awarded 2026 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Fellowship honors contributions of immigrants to American society by awarding $90,000 in funding for graduate studies.
Self-organizing “pencil beam” laser could help scientists design brain-targeted therapies
MIT researchers leveraged a surprise discovery to devise a faster and more precise biomedical imaging technique.
New chip can protect wireless biomedical devices from quantum attacks
Ultra-efficient chip design enables extremely strong cryptography algorithms to run on energy-constrained edge devices.
MIT affiliates elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2026
The prestigious honor society honors four MIT faculty and 13 additional MIT alumni among more than 250 new members.
Plants can sense the sound of rain, a new study finds
Experiments by MIT engineers show rice seeds sprout faster to the sound of rain.