Nidhi Subbaraman of BetaBoston writes that Institute Professor Mildred Dresselhaus has been honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Subbaraman explains that Dresselhaus conducted early research into the electric properties of graphite, “and her work led to the discovery of graphene, the atom-thin carbon sheets that are expected to revolutionize the way we work with electronics.”
David Jackson of USA Today writes about the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including two MIT honorees, Institute Professors Mildred Dresselhaus and Robert Solow. Dresselhaus was honored for “deepening our understanding of condensed matter systems and the atomic properties of carbon,” while Solow was recognized for “laying the groundwork for much of modern economics.”
Boston Globe reporter Bryan Marquard writes about the life and work of Danielle Guichard-Ashbrook, associate dean for international students and director of MIT’s International Students Office, who passed away last week. Guichard-Ashbrook “touched the lives of thousands of students,” said Maria Brennan, assistant director of the International Students Office.
Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Cohen writes about the undefeated MIT football team, which has clinched a spot in the Division III playoffs. Cohen writes that while MIT is known for coming up with “scientific advances that change the world,” the school is now “inventing a respectable football team.”
Joseph Flaherty of Wired writes about how researchers at the MIT Self-Assembly Lab are developing materials that can independently fold themselves into new shapes. “We can listen to materials and use them as a programmable material,” says lab director Skylar Tibbits. “Computing isn’t in computers anymore; computing is everything.”
In a piece for The Boston Globe, Meredith Goldstein writes that Institute Professor Robert Langer received a Kyoto Prize at a ceremony in Japan for his work with tissue engineering.
In a letter to The New York Times, Professor Emerita Nancy Hopkins and graduate student Jason Sheltzer write that while there has been “remarkable progress” for female faculty members in STEM, barriers still exist. “Maintaining progress will require sustained effort, while making further progress will require addressing the pitifully small pipeline in many STEM fields,” they write.
Jennifer Smith of The Boston Globe writes about the fourth annual OrigaMIT convention held November 8, which brought “origami artists from across the country to display their creations and teach attendees to create sculptures from squares of paper.”
Boston Globe reporter Derrick Z. Jackson writes about Dr. Juliet Simpson’s work mapping the amount of carbon in Boston-area sea grass beds. Simpson explains that in undisturbed areas, half of a handful of salt marsh soil is “probably straight carbon.”
Alexandra Ossola of Popular Science features Prof. Kamal Youcef-Toumi’s work developing an autonomous robot to patrol pipes for leaks. “The two-liter-bottle-size prototype cruises through pipes at up to 3 miles per hour in search of subtle pressure differences that indicate a loss of fluids,” writes Ossola.
In a piece for Forbes about geothermal power production, Peter Kelly-Detwiler features a report released by a group of MIT researchers in 2005 concerning the potential of geothermal to become a major source of energy in the U.S.
Boston Globe reporter Cate McQuiad writes about “Vocal Vibrations,” the musical installation and exhibit featuring works by MIT Professors Tod Machover and Neri Oxman. “I was interested in a space where the music and the environment is very soft. To allow the general public to be directly involved in making music,” explains Machover.
Science reporter Vijaysree Venkatraman speaks with Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Professor Mildred Dresselhaus about her career, in particular what it was like to be a female professor in a male-dominated field. Her advice for other women aspiring to work in academia: “Don’t give up.”
Three new works composed by MIT lecturer Elena Ruehr are premiering over the coming weeks, reports David Weininger for The Boston Globe. “The next two weeks constitute a sort of bicoastal mini-festival of new works by Ruehr,” he writes. “It’s an enviable burst of activity for any composer.”
Hal Hodson of New Scientist writes about new technologies that monitor health, highlighting MIT and MGH’s Center for Assessment Technology and Continuous Health. “Its goal is to develop tools that continuously monitor people to get a better understanding of how certain conditions affect us,” he writes.