WBUR’s Rachel Zimmerman reports that Rendever, a startup launched by MIT graduates, has been awarded $40,000 by Pulse@MassChallenge, an accelerator aimed at supporting digital health startups. Rendever developed a virtual reality platform that aims to reduce social isolation and improve mental health, “through technology that allows seniors to relive and remember personal and family experiences and explore new environments.”
In an effort to make it easier for Americans, in particular Latinos, to save for retirement, MIT alumnus Carlos García launched Finhabits, a “bilingual digital platform that gives investment advice and teaches and encourages individuals how to invest and save for retirement,” writes Kristina Puga for CNBC.
Writing for Make, Gareth Branwyn spotlights Adafruit Industries, which was founded by alumna Limor Fried. Fried explains that she believes the success of Adafruit is based on, “being focused on others, having an unconditional belief that you can be both a good cause and a good company, and seeing risk-taking as your friend and your only real competition as yourself.”
Alumna Jasmin Moghbeli speaks with NPR’s Emma Bowman about being selected for NASA astronaut training. Moghbeli, one of three trainees with MIT ties, explains that she hopes to inspire girls of color. “If they can see someone similar to them that they can relate to more, then it makes it all that much more possible…to imagine doing this.”
Fortune reporter Aaron Pressman highlights how in her address during the 2017 Investiture of Doctoral Hoods, MIT alumna Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, urged doctoral graduates to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. "The world is starving for new ideas and great leaders who will champion those ideas," said Su.
MIT’s 2017 Commencement exercises featured an address by Apple CEO Tim Cook, who urged graduates to use their skills to help people around the world, reports the AP. “Measure impact in humanity; not in the likes, but the lives you touch and the people you serve,” said Cook.
Reuters reporter Ross Kerber writes about MIT’s 2017 Commencement exercises, which featured an address by Apple CEO Tim Cook. Cook urged graduates to infuse technology with human values, explaining that he is concerned “about people thinking like computers, without values or compassion, without concern for consequence.”
In his address at MIT’s 2017 Commencement exercises, Apple CEO Tim Cook urged MIT graduates to pursue work in service of humanity, reports Erin Fuchs for Yahoo Finance. “When you keep people at the center of what you do it can have an enormous impact,” he said.
Writing for The Boston Globe, Sara Salinas highlights how in his MIT Commencement address, Apple CEO Tim Cook urged graduates to make the world a better place. “If you strive to create the best, give the best, do the best for everyone, not just for some, then today all of humanity has good cause for hope,” said Cook.
Los Angeles Times reporter Karen Kaplan writes that NASA’s newest class of astronaut trainees includes Prof. Warren Hoburg and MIT alumni Raja Chari and Jasmin Moghbeli. “These would-be astronauts were chosen from among more than 18,300 applicants,” notes Kaplan. “That means their odds of being selected were less than 1 in 1,500.”
Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed writes that MIT has received an unrestricted gift of $140 million from an anonymous alumnus.
AP reporter Marcia Dunn writes that NASA selected MIT Prof. Warren Hoburg and two MIT alumni - Raja Chari and Jasmin Moghbeli – to join their 2017 class of astronauts. After two years of training, the astronauts could be “riding commercial rockets to the International Space Station or flying beyond the moon in NASA's Orion spacecraft. Their ultimate destination could be Mars.”
In an article for The Boston Globe, Travis Anderson highlights how several of NASA’s new class of astronauts have MIT ties. Prof. Warren Hoburg and two MIT graduates - Raja Chari and Jasmin Moghbeli - were selected for NASA’s 2017 astronaut class from 18,300 applications, the largest pool ever, according to NASA.
Reporting for NECN, Sarah Betancourt highlights how MIT has received a $140 million donation in unrestricted funds from an anonymous alumnus. Betancourt notes that this type of “flexible funding provides resources such as laboratories, staff support, and equipment to foster the work of MIT's faculty and students. Unrestricted financial support also goes to financial aid for students.”
An anonymous alumnus has donated $140 million in unrestricted funds to MIT, according to the Associated Press. As an unrestricted donation, the gift, “be used in any way to support MIT's research and education mission.”