Faculty

In an article for The Hill, Prof. Valerie Karplus highlights the economic risks of ignoring the emerging market for clean energy. Karplus writes that, “abandoning the fight against climate change…will take away U.S. jobs.”

Susan Hockfield, president emerita of MIT, has been named to U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 STEM Leadership Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors leaders, “who have achieved measurable results in the science, technology, engineering and math fields; challenged established processes and conventional wisdom; inspired a shared vision; and motivated aspiring STEM professionals.”

A new analysis by MIT researchers shows that immigrants are a vital part of the Boston area’s economy, writes Katie Johnston for The Boston Globe. “It’s very hard to imagine our economy succeeding without immigration,” says Prof. Paul Osterman. “The economy would be strengthened if immigration increased from its present level.”

Reporting for WBUR, Karen Weintraub speaks with Profs. Angela Belcher, Sangeeta Bhatia and Paula Hammond about their work developing tiny tools to target cancer cells. Bhatia explains that their collaboration feels like, “a dream team of people that are interested in nanoscience and nanotechnology and focusing those advances on cancer.”

Xconomy reporter Ben Fidler writes about the life and legacy of Henri Termeer, a life member of the MIT Corporation who died at age 71. Institute Prof. Phillip Sharp explains that Termeer was, “a transformational leader in biotechnology of orphan diseases. Many children now have hope of a healthy life because of his vision and 40 years of creative business leadership.”

Prof. Kevin Esvelt has been honored as a 2017 Boston Globe “Game Changer” for his work with genetic engineering. Ike Swetlitz notes that, “As biology advances at breakneck speed and international debate rages about the ethics and politics of releasing genetically engineered animals, Esvelt has emerged as a respected leader.”

Prof. Stuart Madnick writes for Forbes about the security threat posed by connecting household items to the internet. Madnick notes that it is, “great that computer-enabled internet-connect devices now bring wonderful new capabilities and conveniences. But there is also a need to take a broad view of the impact on our nation’s critical infrastructure.”

BBC News reporter Roland Pease explores the burgeoning field of synthetic biology. “I think what makes synthetic biology interesting is that it's bringing together engineers and physicists with molecular biologists to model, design, and build molecular components that can then be used to rewire and reprogram living cells for a variety of applications,” explains Prof. James Collins. 

Prof. Thomas Levenson writes for The Boston Globe about NATO, arguing that the alliance is a crucial component of U.S. security policy. “Should the alliance shatter, all the social infrastructure that allows people to collaborate will break with it,” Levenson explains. 

Prof. Abhijit Banerjee and Prof. Vipin Narang were highlighted as part of Open Magazine’s list featuring some of the leading thinkers on India. Banerjee was spotlighted for his research on alleviating poverty in India, and Narang for his work examining India’s nuclear doctrine.

Prof. Eric Lander, founding director of the Broad Institute, writes for The Washington Post about the importance of federal funding for scientific research, noting that scientific advances help drive the American economy. “When scientific breakthroughs spawn new industries and jobs, those benefits occur right here in the United States,” Lander explains.

Jordan Graham writes for The Boston Herald about a panel discussion at MIT on the future of work, which featured Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt. During the discussion, Prof. Erik Brynjolfsson noted that “there’s huge opportunities for creating new kinds of jobs, new kinds of work using technology.”

Prof. Ernest Moniz, the former Secretary of Energy, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher to discuss the Iran nuclear deal. Moniz explains that the deal helps to ensure nuclear security as it “puts in place verification measures that are completely unique and apply to this deal forever.” 

In an article for The Atlantic, Gillian B. White writes about Prof. Peter Temin’s new book, “The Vanishing Middle Class: Prejudice and Power in a Dual Economy.” White writes that in his book Temin argues that “following decades of growing inequality, America is now left with what is more or less a two-class system.”

Prof. Andrew Lo speaks with Barry Ritholtz of Bloomberg View about the field of economics. Lo explains that his new book chronicles his “intellectual journey from a diehard devotee of efficient markets and rational expectations into the realm of first psychology and behavioral finance, and then to neuroscience and how people really make decisions.”