InsideHigherEd's Scott Jaschik reports that admissions leaders have sought to reassure high school students facing suspension for their activism since last week's deadly shootings in Parkland, Fla. "One of the most detailed statements came from Stu Schmill, dean of admissions and financial services at MIT," writes Jaschik.
Musician Miguel Zenón, who postponed a trip to Puerto Rico with the MIT Jazz Ensemble due to Hurricane Maria, will perform two concerts in the U.S., including one at MIT, to benefit the Puerto Rico Recovery Fund. Writing for The Boston Globe, Jon Garelick notes that both shows will feature a new piece commissioned by MIT, “En Pie De Lucha,” which Zenón translates roughly as “getting back up for battle.”
NBC Boston reporter Frank Holland visits MIT to discuss the Institute’s ties to slavery, which is the subject of a new undergraduate research course. “MIT and Slavery class is pushing us into a national conversation. A conversation that’s well underway in the rest of country regarding the role of slavery and institutions of higher learning,” said Dean Melissa Nobles.
Graduate student Joy Buolamwini is featured on NPR’s TED Radio Hour explaining the racial bias of facial recognition software and how these problems can be rectified. “The minimum thing we can do is actually check for the performance of these systems across groups that we already know have historically been disenfranchised,” says Buolanwini.
Times Higher Ed reporter Matthew Reisz highlights Prof. Daniel Jackson’s book, “Portraits of Resilience.” Reisz writes that, “MIT and its press are to be congratulated on a book – given out free to all this year’s new students – that not only addresses head on the issue of mental health within higher education but is so frank about how this plays out within its own institution.”
Twenty years after its release, “Good Will Hunting,” which follows an MIT janitor turned math genius, remains incredibly popular with Boston-area college students. MIT junior Scott Cameron, “credits “Good Will Hunting” with shifting his notion of MIT from a far-off place to an actual goal. He first saw the film at 14 and, years later, it remains one of his favorites,” writes Sonia Rao at The Washington Post.
MIT students Nick Schwartz, Olivia Zhao, and Liang Zhou are recipients of this year’s Marshall Scholarship, reports The Boston Globe’s J.D. Capelouto. Schwartz, Zhao, and Zhou are among the 43 students from across the country who received the scholarship, which allows them to pursue graduate studies at a British university.
Washington Post reporter Martin Weil writes about this year’s recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship. Two MIT students were named Rhodes Scholars this year - Mary Clare Beytagh and Matthew Chun. Weil writes that Chun is, “designing the first prosthetic knee intended specifically for use in the developing world.”
Boston Magazine reporter Hayley Glatter spotlights how two MIT seniors - Mary Clare Beytagh and Matthew Chun - were among this year’s winners of the Rhodes Scholarship.
AP reporter Gene Johnson writes about this year’s group of Rhodes Scholars, which includes two MIT students, Mary Clare Beytagh and Matthew Chun. Johnson highlights how Chun, “leads a team designing the first prosthetic knee for use in the developing world.”
Inside Higher Ed reporter Lindsay McKenzie spotlights how MIT has begun a new pilot program that offers students the option to receive tamper-free digital diplomas, in addition to a traditional one. McKenzie explains that, “students can quickly access a digital diploma that can be shared on social media and verified by employers to ensure its authenticity.”
Sophomore Vick Liu speaks with NECN’s Caroline Connolly about what inspired him to develop a new sleeping bag to help Syrian refugees survive harsh winters in the Middle East. "At the end of the day, we didn't start this to make money. We didn't start this to get a ton of prestige," he said. "We just wanted to help people."
Associated Press reporter Collin Binkley writes that Vick Liu, a sophomore at MIT, has developed a new line of sleeping bags designed to help Syrian refugees survive winter in the Middle East. Binkley writes that Liu, “designed the sleeping bag using his backpacking experience as an Eagle Scout but also gathered advice from refugees who fled Syria's civil war.”
Writing for The Boston Globe, President L. Rafael Reif expresses support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. “As the president of one of America’s leading technical universities — an institution built on intellectual excellence, a meritocratic openness to talent, and a long tradition of national service — I believe repealing DACA would be a mistake.”
Steve Annear of The Boston Globe writes about the tradition of MIT students building a roller coaster to welcome freshmen to campus. “It was a good part of the reason that I became a mechanical engineer and I know that’s also true for other people,” says senior Andrea Meister.