��������� An MIT robot for physical therapy of stroke victims was featured on WCVB-TV (channel 5) on January 14. Last year the researchers, led by Professor Neville Hogan of the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, showed that robotic therapy for stroke patients appears to significantly improve patients' short- and long-term recovery of arm movement. The robot is beginning a third clinical trial at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, where it was filmed for Channel 5.
��������� Two articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education portrayed MIT as a pioneer in acknowledging and addressing patterns of gender discrimination among faculty and in fostering religious pluralism on campus.
"Women at MIT Create a Movement for Female Academics," written by Robin Wilson, was the cover story of the Chronicle on December 3. The article was subtitled "Their report changes their careers and prompts other universities to look anew at gender bias." A color photo of seven women faculty at MIT accompanied the lengthy article.
While the article stresses the individual role of Professor Nancy Hopkins of biology in leading the internal study that documented gender bias against women in the School of Science, it emphasizes MIT's "stunning report acknowledging discrimination" and the Institute's role in leading other institutions to address gender equity issues.
Another article in the same issue, titled "Pluralism and Prayer Under One Roof," opens with a scene of students filing into the Religious Activities Center (Building W11) and portrays MIT as a center of religious pluralism. "Most people tend to think of diversity in terms of gender and ethnic diversity. But the greatest diversity we have is religious life,"Robert M. Randolph, senior associate dean of undergraduate education and student affairs, is quoted as saying.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on January 26, 2000.
