Section 1: Facts and History (PDF)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Section 1 Facts and History Fields of Study 11 Digital Learning 12 Research Laboratories, Centers, and Programs 13 Academic and Research Affiliations 14 Education Highlights 16 Research Highlights 21 Faculty and Staff 30 Faculty 30 Researchers 32 Postdoctoral Scholars 33 Awards and Honors of Current Faculty and Staff 34 MIT Briefing Book 9 MIT’s commitment to innovation has led to a host of Facts and History scientific breakthroughs and technological advances. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of Achievements of the Institute’s faculty and graduates the world’s preeminent research universities, dedi- have included the first chemical synthesis of penicillin cated to advancing knowledge and educating students and vitamin A, the development of inertial guidance in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship systems, modern technologies for artificial limbs, and that will best serve the nation and the world. It is the magnetic core memory that enabled the develop- known for rigorous academic programs, cutting-edge ment of digital computers. Exciting areas of research research, a diverse campus community, and its long- and education today include neuroscience and the standing commitment to working with the public and study of the brain and mind, bioengineering, energy, private sectors to bring new knowledge to bear on the the environment and sustainable development, infor- world’s great challenges. mation sciences and technology, new media, financial technology, and entrepreneurship. William Barton Rogers, the Institute’s founding presi- dent, believed that education should be both broad University research is one of the mainsprings of and useful, enabling students to participate in “the growth in an economy that is increasingly defined by humane culture of the community” and to discover technology. A study released in February 2009 by the and apply knowledge for the benefit of society. His Kauffman Foundation estimated that MIT graduates emphasis on “learning by doing,” on combining had founded 25,800 active companies. These firms liberal and professional education, and on the value employed about 3.3 million people, and generated of useful knowledge continues to be at the heart of annual world sales of $2 trillion, or the equivalent of MIT’s educational mission. the eleventh-largest economy in the world. MIT has forged educational and research collabora- tions with universities, governments, and companies throughout the world, and draws its faculty and students from every corner of the globe. The result is a vigorous mix of people, ideas, and programs dedicated to enhancing the world’s well-being. MIT's founder, William Barton Rogers, 1879 Courtesy MIT Museum 10 MIT Briefing Book Facts and History Fields of Study Sloan School of Management MIT supports a large variety of fields of study, from Management science and engineering to the arts. MIT’s five academic schools are organized into departments School of Science and other degree-granting programs. In addition, Biology several programs, laboratories, and centers cross Brain and Cognitive Sciences traditional boundaries and encourage creative Chemistry thought and research. Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Mathematics School of Architecture and Planning Physics Architecture Media Arts and Sciences Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Programs Urban Studies and Planning Computer Science and Molecular Biology Center for Real Estate Humanities Humanities and Engineering School of Engineering Humanities and Science Aeronautics and Astronautics Biological Engineering Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs Chemical Engineering Computation for Design and Optimization Civil and Environmental Engineering Computational and Systems Biology Data, Systems, and Society Computer Science and Molecular Biology Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Institute of Medical Engineering and Science Technology Program Materials Science and Engineering Joint Program with Woods Hole Mechanical Engineering Oceanographic Institution Nuclear Science and Engineering Leaders for Global Operations Microbiology School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Operations Research Anthropology Polymers and Soft Matter Comparative Media Studies/Writing Supply Chain Management Economics Design and Management (Integrated Design and Global Studies and Languages Management & System Design and Management) History Technology and Policy Linguistics and Philosophy Transportation Literature Music and Theatre Arts Political Science Science, Technology, and Society MIT Briefing Book 11 Digital Learning the globe via the Internet. MITx in partnership Practically since the advent of digital computing, with edX—originally an MIT-Harvard alliance, MIT has been at the forefront of innovation in which has since expanded to include many top- educational technology, whether through indi- tier universities worldwide—brings MIT faculty vidual faculty initiatives, departmental projects, and their “MOOC” courses to many thousands of or Institute-wide programs. Literally hundreds of learners everywhere. technology projects, each building on the lessons of those before, have helped to change the face • Open educational resources (OER). The OER of education at MIT and throughout the global movement, pioneered in large part by MIT’s academic community. OpenCourseWare project—and since joined by hundreds more institutions worldwide—lowers But in the last few years, technology-enabled financial, geographical, and political barriers to change in how we teach and learn has been accel- accessing quality educational content. erating. We have seen remarkable educational experiments throughout higher education that are • Learning analytics and educational data mining. resulting in unprecedented breakthroughs: Online learning systems have the ability to amass huge volumes of data on student use, navigation, • New pedagogies. Digital learning technologies and assessment as they work their way through enable students to do more outside of the class, courses. In the aggregate, these data can be so that class time can focus on deeper discus- used to model student learning approaches and sion, hands-on experiments and other forms of performance. So, for example, it is now possible active learning. Digital technology can deliver to monitor and predict students’ learning perfor- lecture content, provide students rapid feedback mance and spot potential issues early so that on their understanding and even adaptive hints automated or instructor-initiated interventions can to foster learning, and foster more active reading be provided. MIT faculty and other collaborators and discussion through annotation tools. Digital use these data for educational research to advance platforms can also augment understanding, via understanding of how people learn and identify visualizations, simulations and games. These effective pedagogical strategies. technologies provide flexibility in course delivery, allowing more modularization and enabling • Online software innovations. New tools such students to access content anytime, anywhere; as internet labs, gaming, MIT STAR (Software this is especially helpful for students who seek to Tools for Academics and Researchers), and access material in courses that are not offered other resources provide adaptive learning aids every year. Many MIT faculty are experimenting that present educational materials according to with these new ways of teaching and learning. students’ varying needs and learning styles. MIT faculty have conceived and implemented many • Scalable teaching. Innovative technologies such teaching tools, simulations, and learning aids. as robust learning management platforms with One remarkable example: iLabs enriches science short videos, embedded quizzes with instant and engineering education by enabling students feedback, student-ranked questions that priori- to use real instruments via remote online labo- tize topical focus for instructors, automated ratories. Unlike conventional laboratories, iLabs grading and assessment, discussion forums, can be shared via the Internet, delivering the personalization, etc. make it possible to increase educational benefits of hands-on experimenta- student cohort size from tens or hundreds in a tion both to our own students and to students campus classroom to tens of thousands around around the world. 12 MIT Briefing Book Facts and History In 2012, MIT established the Office of Digital Learning Center for Transportation and Logistics to harness the Institute’s educational technology Clinical Research Center resources to ensure that MIT remains at the forefront Computer Science and Artificial of developments like these. ODL integrates formerly Intelligence Laboratory independent organizational units related to digital Concrete Sustainability Hub learning to focus on these strategic priorities: Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation • Support MIT faculty and students in bold experi- Division of Comparative Medicine ments to enhance our residential education and Initiative on the Digital Economy provide resources for those who are interested Institute for Medical Engineering and Science in exploring how they might do so. Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies Institute for Work and Employment Research • Facilitate research on how people learn Joint Program on the Science and Policy and on new technologies that might improve of Global Change understanding, retention and application. Knight Science Journalism Program