Meet the 2026 tenured professors in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Faculty members granted tenure in Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Economics, Political Science, and Theater.
Understanding the world, from the Cold War to the age of AI
For 75 years, the Center for International Studies has brought together social scientists, engineers, and practitioners to understand global change, shape public debate, and address generational challenges.
Measure by measure, studying society accurately
Naoki Egami has become a standout in political methodology, helping refine tools that give scholars durable results.
Retooling to help democracy revive
Deindustrialization didn’t only hurt some workers, Daron Acemoglu says in a new book; it shrank the coalition supporting democracy, which needs expanding.
Past is prologue for geopolitical developments
DUSP Associate Professor Jason Jackson’s latest book compares how two countries chose radically different paths to economic independence.
Following the questions where they lead
Assistant Professor Bailey Flanigan has arrived at complex computational methods for helping democracy thrive.
Three MIT Press journals lead their fields with Clarivate No. 1 rankings
Computational Linguistics, International Security, and The Review of Economics and Statistics lead their disciplines with 2026 Clarivate impact factors.
Building a scholarly community
The SHASS Faculty Fellows Program, administered by the MIT Human Insight Collaborative, is fostering new research projects and creating space for supportive and interdisciplinary discussion.
How architecture influences political activity
In Ghana, semi-communal “compound houses” affect how much people vote and participate in political activity, new research shows.
Exploring the societal impacts of AI
During the AI and Society Forum, leading MIT researchers examined critical questions about AI’s influence on employment and democracy.
The crucial human component in computing and AI
The MIT Ethics of Computing Research Symposium brought together experts and researchers working at the heart of ethical and social impact in technology.
Some democracies are struggling to ensure safe drinking water
Countries with developing economies provide at least some public water, but safety may lag because it’s less visible, researchers say.
“I have yet to meet a professor that cares more for their students”
Associate Professor Daniel “Danny” Hidalgo, a political scientist who studies elections, democracy, and political behavior in Latin America, is honored as “Committed to Caring” for graduate student mentorship.
MIT affiliates awarded 2026 Guggenheim Fellowships
Afreen Siddiqi, Kathleen Thelen, and Vinod Vaikuntanathan, along with alumna Kate Manne, are appointed to the 2026 class of “trail-blazing fellows.”
Built to fly
MIT senior, master's candidate, and airman Brian Robinson lives and works at the intersection of aviation, politics, and technology.