Writing for Nature, James Shorter and Aaron Gitler memorialize Prof. Susan Lindquist’s research on protein folding and its role in human disease. They write that Lindquist was “a visionary who connected concepts across disparate disciplines,” adding that her insights, “paved the way for innovative strategies to treat diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer.”
Boston Globe reporter Eric Moskowitz spotlights the work of Margaret Hamilton, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom who led the development of software for the Apollo missions while at MIT. President Barack Obama noted that Hamilton, “symbolizes that generation of unsung women who helped send humankind into space.”
TechCrunch reporter Devin Coldewey writes that Margaret Hamilton, a computing pioneer who led the development of the Apollo program’s on-board flight software during her time at MIT, has been named a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Coldewey writes that Hamilton is an inspiring figure “for anyone looking to enter the fields of computer science and engineering.”
Prof. Susan Lindquist, who conducted research on yeast in an effort to better understand human disease, died on Oct. 27, writes James Hagerty of The Wall Street Journal. “Her studies of deformed proteins have spurred research that may lead to treatments for certain types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."
Bryan Marquard writes for The Boston Globe about Prof. Susan Lindquist, one of the most honored scientists in the nation, who died on Oct. 27. “She did not want to do an experiment unless she thought it would deliver deep biological impact and make a difference to the world,” said Dr. Vikram Khurana of Yumanity Therapeutics.
Prof. Susan Lindquist, a former director of the Whitehead Institute known for her “conceptually daring work with yeast proteins,” died on Oct. 27, writes William Grimes for The New York Times. Her research “demonstrated that protein-folding errors occurred in all species and that biological changes could be passed from one generation to the next through proteins alone.”
In an article about the increasing number of women studying electrical engineering and computer science at some of the nation’s leading universities, Washington Post reporter Nick Anderson highlights how “more than half of engineering bachelor’s degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology went to women in 2015.”
CSAIL Director Daniela Rus speaks with Peter High of Forbes about the lab’s research, history and mission. Rus notes that CSAIL researchers are focused on "inventing the future of computing. We want to use computer science to tackle major challenges in fields like healthcare and education.”
A study co-authored by Prof. Susan Silbey found that many women leave engineering because of sexism at school and in the workplace, writes Valentina Zarya for Fortune. The researchers found that “female engineers’ first substantive experiences with sexism occurred in school, with many women describing being treated differently by professors and classmates.”
In an article for The Boston Globe, Sacha Pfeiffer writes that undergraduate Farita Tasnim has been named to Her Campus’ list of 22 Under 22 Most Inspiring College Women. Pfeiffer writes that Tasnim has been “dubbed a ‘STEM goddess’ for captaining her high school robotics team and creating her own electronics lab, among other accomplishments.”
Women You Should Know celebrates the 80th birthday of computer scientist Margaret Hamilton with a video spotlighting her work at MIT developing code for NASA’s Apollo program. Hamilton’s “Apollo code ultimately saved the Apollo 11 astronauts from having to abort their historic moon landing.”
Prof. Evan Apfelbaum writes for Fortune about a study he co-authored examining how businesses can undertake more successful diversity efforts. Apfelbaum explains that his research found that while diversity programs often treat “two underrepresented groups—women and minorities—in the same ways, messaging that motivates one group may actually de-motivate another, leading to failure of diversity programs.”
MIT alumna Danielle Appleton writes for TIME that in order to encourage females to pursue careers in STEM fields, women must mentor other women. “The path to changing female representation is very much about being a physical presence in the STEM world. We need to show young women that we exist, that we are here for support and that they are of value."
Boston Globe reporter Cristela Guerra writes that Profs. Janet Conrad and Lindley Winslow helped ensure the science in the new “Ghostbusters” was as accurate as possible. “I am very fond of the original ‘Ghostbusters’,” says Conrad. “I have even used ‘Ghostbusters’ as a theme for my colloquium on neutrino physics, since neutrinos are often called the ghost particle.”
As part of their 50th anniversary coverage, The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted a front page article from 1999 that spotlighted a report from MIT examining gender bias in academia. The Chronicle notes that the report “led to heightened awareness [of gender bias] not only at MIT but also on campuses around the country.”