MIT alumni Aman Narang and Steve Fredette speak with NECN’s Brian Burnell about their startup Toast, which provides cloud-based, restaurant management software. Narang explains that Toast was created to replace outdated restaurant technology and “build something from the ground up that could connect their diners, their guests, their employees, and make the restauranteur’s life more efficient.”
UCLA Prof. Leonard Kleinrock, an MIT alumnus, speaks with PC Mag reporter S.C. Stuart about his work developing the mathematical theory of packet networks during his graduate studies at MIT. Kleinrock recounts how “that was a golden era at MIT and elsewhere in the research groups in the sixties, and I'll be forever grateful to ARPA's enlightened funding culture.”
Axios reporter Joann Muller spotlights Rivian, an electric-vehicle startup founded by MIT graduate RJ Scaringe. “If Rivian succeeds, the sharing of its technology could be one of the biggest reasons,” writes Muller. “Imagine companies like Amazon, Starbucks or Apple launching their own mobility fleets on top of a generic platform.”
MIT alumnus William Nordaus has been awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work studying the interaction between climate change and the economy, reports Dave Keyton and Jim Heintz for the AP. Nordhaus shared the award with Paul Romer, who also conducted graduate work at MIT.
MIT alumna Rita Baranwal has been nominated for Assistant Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, writes Lalit Jha for the Press Trust of India. If approved, Baranwal will be responsible for “nuclear technology research and the development and management of the department's nuclear technology infrastructure.”
Corporation member Samuel Bodman passed away in El Pas, TX at the age of 79. Bodman, who earned a doctoral degree in chemical engineering from MIT in 1965, also served as a professor of chemical engineering at the Institute before becoming CEO of Cabot Corp., reports James R. Hagerty for The Wall Street Journal.
Forbes reporter Amy Feldman highlights Desktop Metal, a company started by MIT graduate Ric Fulop and a number of MIT researchers, that has developed 3-D metal printers that are intended to “print fast enough and at a low enough cost to replace casting and CNC machining for numerous metal parts.”
MIT spinout Affectiva Inc. has developed a new system that can study a driver’s face to help assess their mental state, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. Bray explains that the system “analyzes facial expressions to determine if a driver is distracted, angry, scared, sleepy, or drunk.”
MIT has been named the top university in the world for graduate employability by QS, reports Sean Coughlin for the BBC News. The ranking looks at how much universities are likely to boost the future careers of graduates, Coughlin explains, adding that MIT “is known for its high status in technology and innovation.”
QS has selected MIT as the best university in the world in their 2019 Graduate Employability Ranking, reports Rachel Hall for The Guardian. Hall explains that, “the rankings are compiled based on employer reputation, alumni outcomes, partnerships with employers per staff member, employer-student connections and the graduate employment rate.”
MIT startup Skydio has launched a platform that allows users to create custom software that can be applied to the company’s autonomous drone, reports Nick Statt for The Verge. The platform will let “app makers and drone enthusiasts develop custom software that takes advantage of the device’s bevy of cameras and sensors, as well as its sophisticated computer vision software and machine learning algorithms.”
Fox News reporters Kevin Tracy and Christopher Howard highlight how MIT alumna Laila Shabir created a summer camp aimed at inspiring girls interesting in playing and creating video games. “It’s like teaching someone how to paint,” Shabir explains. “You know once you teach them how to paint they can express themselves through that medium. That’s exactly what we’re doing at camp.”
MIT alumnus You Wu has spent six years perfecting robots that can travel through pipes to identify water leaks, writes Anne Quito for Quartz. “Over 240,000 water pipes burst in the US each year, with each incident costing an average of $200,000 in infrastructure damage,” notes Quito.
Writing for Wired, Ricardo Rosselló, an MIT alumnus and the governor of Puerto Rico, explains that nurturing the technology industry in Puerto Rico is integral to the island’s efforts to rebuild. “Ever since I was a student, I have been fascinated by science and technology,” he explains. “As a former professor, I believe that these science and technology jobs represent the future of Puerto Rico’s economy.”
MIT alumnus Kofi Annan, former United Nations secretary general, has died at age 80, the Associated Press reports. Annan, “one of the world’s most celebrated diplomats,” earned a master’s degree from the Sloan School of Management.