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“I try to guide my research by ... asking myself the question, ‘What can we do today that will have a lasting impact and be conducive to a sustainable human civilization?’” says Rohit Karnik, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Rohit Karnik seeks sustainable solutions through nanotechnology

Engineer’s designs may help purify water, diagnose disease in remote regions of world.

September 1, 2016

Maria Zuber, MIT vice president for research, welcomes GE to MIT as a new Sustaining Member of the MIT Energy Initiative. Zuber discussed MIT’s Plan for Action on Climate Change and the importance of industry engagement in solving global climate and energy challenges.

MIT Energy Initiative welcomes GE as new member and participant in Low-Carbon Energy Centers

GE’s membership marks continued progress on goals of MIT’s Plan for Action on Climate Change to engage industry in solving global challenges.

August 30, 2016

A team of researchers, including graduate student Maher Damak (left) and associate professor of mechanical engineering Kripa K. Varanasi, have found a way to drastically cut down on the amount of pesticide liquid that bounces off plants.

Reducing runoff pollution by making spray droplets less bouncy

MIT researchers find a way to make pesticides stick to leaves instead of bouncing off.

August 30, 2016

Field test participant Asma Patham uses a water test kit in the Khodiyarnagar neighborhood of Ahmedabad.

MIT-USAID program releases technology evaluation of water test kits

Study of water test kits used in Gujarat, India, assesses suitability, scalability, and sustainability.

August 23, 2016

MIT D-Lab has named Bob Nanes, a veteran of international development, to the newly created position of executive director.

D-Lab appoints Bob Nanes to new position of executive director

Nanes brings to D-Lab 30 years of experience on four continents in technology, innovation, supply chains, and microfinance.

August 18, 2016

“There's a lot of role models here [at MIT], and sometimes, in Chile or in Mexico or in Costa Rica, [girls] don't know that there's a graduate student or an undergrad doing these cool things at MIT,” says grad student Alicia Chong Rodriguez. “I think it's a matter of just connecting the dots.”

Taking on gender gaps in health care and technology

Graduate student Alicia Chong Rodriguez uses her engineering skills to empower women.

August 18, 2016

Membrane structures in plant xylem from different species are being investigated for use in water filtration.

J-WAFS Solutions program awards $750,000 in commercialization grants

Four new projects and one renewal receive $150,000 in funding for 2016-2017.

August 12, 2016

Judith Tendler, professor emerita in urban studies and planning, dies at 77

With an optimistic outlook, Tendler combined development economics and organizational theory to advise governments.

July 27, 2016

2016 MIT D-Lab Scale-Ups fellow Heather Beem (second from right) co-founded the Practical Education Network (PEN) while pursuing her PhD in mechanical engineering at MIT. PEN is currently based in Ghana.

D-Lab Scale-Ups awards four fellowships totaling $80,000 to social entrepreneurs

Fellows work on low-cost microgrids, prosthetics made from cane, hands-on STEM education in Ghana, and a rechargeable headlamp for rural Indian farmers.

July 25, 2016

Using data to inform the connections between technology and policy

MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society research from the Technology and Policy Program highlights multidisciplinary approaches to data-driven policies.

July 22, 2016