Volume 52 – Number 3 Wednesday, September 26, 2007 TechTalk S e r v i n g Th e MIT Co mm u n i t y MIT team finds Mars southern pole mostly water Anne Trafton Scientists also wondered whether the Martian poles News Office held large reserves of water. However, because the Mars atmosphere is 95 percent carbon dioxide with only trace amounts of water, some researchers theorized that the An MIT-led team of planetary scientists has found that polar caps were frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice. the southern pole of Mars contains the largest deposit of Zuber’s team identified the composition of the southern frozen water in the inner solar system, outside of Earth. polar cap by calculating its density. Their results show the The new results show that water, not carbon dioxide, density of the polar cap as well as the surrounding smooth is the predominant frozen liquid found in the southern layered deposit region is about 1,220 kilograms per cubic polar region of Mars, said Maria Zuber, MIT professor of meter, which indicates that it is made of mostly water, with geophysics. about 15 percent silicate dust mixed in. Zuber said scientists have suspected that the southern (The density of water ice is 1,000 kilograms per cubic polar cap of Mars is comprised of a thin veneer of carbon meter, and the density of dry ice is 1,600 kilograms per dioxide that rests atop a layer of dust and ice. However, cubic meter.) scientists have also observed a surrounding area much Zuber and her colleagues used topographical and gravi- larger than the polar cap that is dark and smooth, and it tational data gathered by three Mars orbiters to find the was uncertain whether that region was also composed of volume and mass of the ice cap, allowing them to calculate dust or ice—or both. its density. “What we found is that water ice is the dominant con- “It’s a really simple experiment but you have to measure stituent beneath a thin dust veneer,” said Zuber, lead things very precisely,” said Zuber, who is head of MIT’s author of a paper on the work that appeared in the Sept. 21 Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. IMAGE COURTESY / NASA/MOLA SCIENCE TEAM issue of Science. Ever since carved channels were first observed on the This image of Mars’ south polar region shows the ice cap See MARS surface of Mars, scientists have suspected that water once (in white) within the smooth layered deposits that overlie flowed across the surface. the cratered southern highlands. Page 6 MIT hosts conference on ‘Emergent India’ After 12 years at Sarah H. Wright there each month—and of its potential for wider social News Office equality, essential if that growth is to be sustained. “The sun doesn’t shine equally on India: The western MIT, recent Ph.D. half of the country receives more investment than the Thirty experts on energy, education, industry, finance eastern, and that geographical divide needs to be correct- and urban design discussed India’s economic growth, the ed. The biggest bottleneck is education. We have the larg- grad makes history foreseeable difficulties in sustaining and widening it, and est illiterate population in the world, and the private sector the country’s rising national energy needs in “Emergent should join in addressing this as it has other problems,” Anne Trafton India: An Engagement With MIT,” a daylong conference he said. News Office held in Bartos Theater on Sept. 21. Researchers specializing in energy, industry and public Dean of Engineering Subra Suresh, opening the event, health echoed Godrej’s views, with several conjuring a characterized it as an opportunity to reinforce and reinvig- dire imaginary Venn diagram in which poverty, pollution AliciA Jillian Hardy entered MIT in the fall of 1995 as orate the 100-year history tying MIT and India—the first and educational deficits overlap. one of the handful of freshmen who come to the Institute Indian alumnus of MIT graduated in 1907—and to explore “Energy and India: Looking Into the Future,” a panel planning to major in the humanities. future collaborations. moderated by Sanjoy Mitter, professor of electrical engi- Although she loved MIT’s Adi Godrej (S.B., S.M. 1963), chair of the Godrej Group, neering and computer science, set the conceptual Venn writing program, she eventually an influential industrial conglomerate based in Mumbai, overlap in a global context, with India as an urgent but switched her major to mechani- India, served as the morning keynote speaker. He noted hardly isolated case. cal engineering. She stayed in his management studies at MIT helped him modernize “India faces a perfect storm of energy challenges, and the department for 12 years, and systematize the management structures in the Godrej we will need a multiplicity of solutions to solve the prob- and earlier this month she Group, a century-old family business. lem. These are good opportunities for partnerships and became the first black Ameri- According to Godrej, capitalism is working for India, for global collaboration,” said Ernest Moniz, Cecil and Ida can woman to earn a Ph.D. the world’s fourth-largest economy: Bombay airport runs Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems and from MIT in that field. smoothly thanks to a public-private partnership, and director of the MIT Energy Initiative. She’s now doing a six-month steady service-sector employment, especially in IT, is The elements of India’s perfect storm include the antic- internship at BMW in Munich, expanding the middle class and driving private consump- ipated tripling of its energy demands by 2050; the prob- but she hopes to eventually use tion as well as commercial and residential construction. ability of disruptions in oil transportation and supply; and her degree to develop tech- Godrej pointed to mobile telephony as a symbol of the mounting environmental problems caused by carbon nologies to improve the cleanli- India’s economic growth—7 million cell phones are sold dioxide (among other pollutants), Moniz said. AliciA Hardy ness of power generation, par- Moniz noted that solving the world’s energy problems ticularly in developing nations. is a central concern for MIT: While developing nations “As developed nations, we have a responsibility to help may face India’s perfect storm directly, no nation is developing nations to make sure their power generation is immune from global climate change and impending ener- clean,” she said. gy crises. In March, she will start her new job at GE, where she Gregory Stephanopoulos, Bayer Professor of Chemical will be working on biofuel technology. Hardy’s master’s Engineering, focused on processes to convert biomass thesis focused on improving the efficiency of large-scale to biofuel and urged the audience to consider visionary hydrogen and methane power plants, which could be use- approaches. ful in industrializing nations that now burn a lot of coal, Three issues are central to framing any picture of such as China and India. India’s—and the world’s—future use of biofuels, he said. Hardy says she enjoyed her time at the Institute even There must be sufficient biomass and efficient bio-refin- though she wasn’t sure she wanted to attend MIT in the eries to generate fuel supply; there must be alternative first place. As a high school student in Philadelphia, where means of transporting the fuels, as in pipelines; and there she attended public schools, Hardy won numerous math must be investment in human infrastructure as well as and science awards and was recruited by many colleges. engineering and distribution. “I applied to every possible school I could,” she said. In Charles Cooney, professor of chemistry and biochemi- the end she had 14 offers and couldn’t decide which one PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY cal engineering, praised the MIT Deshpande Center’s to accept. Her older brother, Cordell, encouraged her to Dean of the School of Engineering Subra Suresh gave the welcoming address at the Emergent India conference, held See INDIA See HARDY at Bartos Theatre at the Media Lab on Friday, Sept. 21. Page 6 Page 6 NEWS ARTS ENERGY

GENIUS GRANTS MIT MUSEUM EXPANSION WALKING THE TALK MIT alums named MacArthur fellows. Grand opening this weekend. MITEI enlists student help to cut environmental Page 2 Page 7 footprint. Page 8 ENGINEERING SYSTEMS DIVISION DANCING WITH THE STARS Professor Yossi Sheffi named new director. NSF fellow to perform on television. ‘DEEP’ UNDERSTANDING Page 2 Page 7 Preorientation program teaches freshmen about energy, environment. Page 8 PAGE 2 September 26, 2007 NEWS MIT Tech Talk Sheffi named MIT alums win MacArthur ‘genius’ awards Sarah H. Wright romuscular forces necessary for precise finger movement director of News Office and constitutes an important step toward the development of a dexterous prosthetic hand that can be controlled by the brain’s neural signals. MIT alumni Saul Griffith (S.M. 2001, Ph.D. 2004) and Another major project Matsuoka is working on involves Engineering Yoky Matsuoka (S.M. 1995, Ph.D. 1998) have been award- the use of virtual environments and visual feedback to dis- ed 2007 MacArthur fellowships, more commonly known tort recovering stroke patients’ perceptions of tasks they as “genius” grants. perform during therapy. Systems Division Griffith, an inventor who received the 2004 Lemel- Prior to receiving advanced degrees from MIT, she son-MIT Student Prize for creating a “desktop printer” received a B.S. from the University of California, Berke- Professor Yossi Sheffi has been appointed director of that makes low-cost eye- ley. From 2001 to 2006, she the Engineering Systems Division, effective Nov. 15, Dean glasses for use in under- was an assistant professor of Engineering Subra Suresh announced this week. served communities, was affiliated with the Sheffi received his B.Sc. from Technion in Israel in honored for “engineer- Institute, the Department 1975, his S.M. from MIT in 1977, and his Ph.D. from M.I.T. ing innovations spanning of Mechanical Engineer- in 1978; he holds faculty appointments in the Engineering optics, high-performance ing and the Center for the Systems Division and the Department of Civil and Envi- materials and nanotech- Neural Basis of Cognition ronmental Engineering. An expert in systems optimiza- nology in the service of at Carnegie Mellon Univer- tion, risk analysis and supply chain management, Sheffi the world community,” sity. serves as director of the MIT Center for Transportation according to the John D. and Logistics, a position he will continue to hold as ESD and Catherine T. MacAr- ‘Boundless energy’ director. Under his leadership, the center has experienced thur Foundation. According to the foun- substantial growth, launching many educational, research Matsuoka, an associ- dation, Griffith, 33, shares and industry/government out- ate professor and robotics his “boundless energy” reach programs. expert in the Department for inventing across sev- Sheffi is the author of numer- of Computer Science and eral disciplines. Already the ous research articles and two Saul Griffith Yoky Matsuoka Engineering at the Univer- holder of several patents in books, including the bestseller sity of Washington in Seat- optics, textiles, and nano- “The Resilient Enterprise: Over- tle, was chosen for “devising complex prosthetic devices technology, Griffith is a “prodigy of invention in service of coming Vulnerability for Com- and rehabilitation strategies that hold life-changing poten- the world community,” the foundation said. petitive Advantage,” published tial for those suffering from brain injuries and manipula- While a graduate student at MIT, Griffith designed by the MIT Press in 2005. It tion disabilities,” the foundation said. the low-cost eyeglass maker and invented the I-cycle, a received rave reviews from The Griffith and Matsuoka are among the 24 MacArthur bicycle made of plywood; a 3-D chocolate printer; a 3-D New York Times, Wall Street fellows chosen this year for their creativity, originality and microfabrication method for rapid construction at the Journal and The Economist, potential to make important contributions in the future. nanoscale, and the e-rope, a smart rope that can sense as well as dozens of trade pub- Fellows receive $500,000 in “no strings attached” support and report the strain of the load it bears and where it has lications; The Financial Times over five years; in other words, they may spend the money frayed. chose it as one of the best busi- Yossi Sheffi as they see fit. In 2005, Time magazine named Griffith’s e-rope as one ness books of 2005; and it was According to The Seattle Times, the MacArthur Foun- of that year’s 40 most amazing inventions. Also in 2005, awarded the “2005 Book of the Year” in the category of dation official who notifies award winners issues a stan- Technology Review ranked Griffith as one of the world’s Business and Economics by Forward Magazine. dard warning when the unsuspecting recipients pick up 35 top innovators under the age of 35. Since 1998, Sheffi has served as the director of MIT’s the phone: “I’ve got shocking news,” he says. “If you’re Griffith credits his MIT peers for inspiring him, noting Master of Engineering in Logistics degree, a program holding anything fragile—like a baby—you might want to that the Institute is “highly dense with people who are he founded. The program grew from 17 applications at set it down.” obsessive and passionate about what they do.” its inception to hundreds of applications today and has Matsuoka told the paper that she just happened to be A native of Sydney, Australia, Griffith currently invents inspired the creation of dozens of similar programs world- nursing her 8-day-old son when the special call came in. at Squid Labs, the California-based engineering/technol- wide. “He told me I was the very first one in 20 years who ogy company he and his colleagues founded in 2004. The In 2003, Sheffi founded and has since led the MIT- actually was holding a baby,” Matsuoka, 36, was quoted as low-cost lenses and accessible eye-exam technologies Zaragoza International Logistics Program, an international saying. are a major focus of research and development energy at collaboration among academia, industry and government. According to a biography provided by the foundation, Squid Labs, which also developed the e-rope. This program has led to substantial economic growth in Matsuoka is transforming experts’ understanding of how As technical advisor at Potenco, a spin-off company, Aragon, and in 2006, he received the Aragon’s presiden- the central nervous system coordinates musculoskeletal Griffith initiated the project design for a hand-held human- tial award for “the most substantial contribution to the action and of how robotic technology can enhance the powered generator, which has the potential to improve regional economy.” mobility of people with manipulation disabilities. access to electronic devices such as laptops and water Outside the university, Sheffi has consulted with Working at the intersection of computer science, bio- purifiers throughout the world. numerous governments and leading manufacturing, retail physics, , biomechanics, and psychophys- Before receiving advanced degrees from MIT, Griffith and transportation enterprises around the world. He is ics, Matsuoka creates sophisticated prosthetic devices and received a B.MET.E. from the University of New South also an active entrepreneur, having founded five success- designs complementary rehabilitation strategies. Wales and an M.E. from the University of Sydney. ful companies, and is a sought-after speaker for corporate In one line of research, she constructed an anatomi- Griffith and Matsuoka join 29 current and former mem- and professional events. cally correct robotic hand, complete with an intricate ten- bers of the MIT community who have won MacArthur Sheffi has been recognized with numerous awards and don structure that enables it to respond to sensor signals Fellowships, according to the Office of the Provost. They honors in academic and industry forums and was on the closely resembling neural commands. include 13 current faculty, seven former faculty and four cover of Purchasing Magazine and Transportation and This model has facilitated investigations into the neu- research staff. Distribution Magazine. In 1997 he won the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. He is also a life fellow of Cambridge University’s Clare Hall College. In his announcement, Suresh also thanked Institute New Cambridge Science Festival director Professor Joel Moses, who has graciously served as the P.A. d’Arbeloff has been named director of the new that the many outstanding educational opportunities that Interim Director of ESD since January 2006, and added Cambridge Science Festival, MIT Museum Director John the business community offers to inspire students and that he is looking forward to working with Sheffi and col- Durant announced earlier this month. D’Arbeloff, a for- to promote science literacy in the Cambridge community leagues in ESD. mer journalist, press secretary and fundraiser, was most are effectively communicated, and taken advantage of by recently the executive director of the Bos- students and their families.” ton Public Library Foundation. As direc- D’Arbeloff, who was national press tor of the Cambridge Science Festival, director for the Tsongas for President cam- d’Arbeloff will lead the celebration of the paign in 1992 and press secretary for the breakthrough scientific research and con- successful Menino for Mayor campaigns Corrections tributions made by those living and work- in the 1990s and in 2001, has extensive ing in Cambridge. community relations and events manage- In an article in the Sept. 19 issue of Tech “We are looking forward to P.A. tak- ment experience. In her previous roles, Talk, “Fulbright scholar in new adventure,” the ing over this important community-wide d’Arbeloff spearheaded far-reaching com- name of MIT Professor C. Forbes Dewey was initiative,” Durant said. “Her expertise in munity outreach programs and ran highly working with a variety of community insti- successful city-wide literacy programs misstated. Tech Talk regrets the error. tutions will build on the early success of the first Cam- honoring children and engaging entire families. In her role In an obituary in the Sept. 19 issue of Tech bridge Science Festival and will strengthen our ties with as Cambridge Science Festival Director, d’Arbeloff will be Talk, the name of MIT alumnus Hayward R. the many people and organizations that created, funded a staff member of the MIT Museum. Her responsibilities Alker was misstated. Tech Talk regrets the and managed events during the first festival.” include oversight of all festival activities, including fund- raising, programming and media relations. error. “It’s an exciting time for both the MIT Museum and the Festival,” said d’Arbeloff. “I am especially interested D’Arbeloff earned a B.A. in communications from in making sure that elementary and high school students Ithaca College, and an M.S. in broadcast journalism from are benefiting from festival programs. I will also assure Boston University.

News Office Staff HOW TO REACH US Tech Talk is published by the News Office on Wednesdays during term time except for Executive Director ...... Pamela Dumas Serfes most Monday holiday weeks. See Production Schedule at http://web.mit.edu/news- office/techtalk-info.html. The News Office is in Room 11-400, Massachusetts Institute of News Office News Manager...... Greg Frost Editor Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Telephone: 617-253-2700 Greg Frost Director, Media Relations...... Patti Richards Postmaster: Send address changes to Mail Services, Building WW15, Massachusetts E-mail: [email protected] Senior Science and Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Photojournalist Engineering Editor...... Elizabeth Thomson http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice Donna Coveney Subscribers may call 617-252-1550 or send e-mail to [email protected]. Writers...... Anne Trafton, Sarah Wright Tech Talk is distributed free to faculty and staff offices and residence halls. It is also avail- Production Assistant Director/Photojournalist ...... Donna Coveney able free in the News Office and the Information Center. Office of the Arts Web Developer/Editor...... Lisa Damtoft Carol Demers Domestic mail subscriptions are $25 per year, nonrefundable. Checks should be made http://web.mit.edu/arts Operations/Financial Administrator ...... Myles Crowley payable to MIT and mailed to Business Manager, Room 11-400, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Administrative Assistant II ...... Mary Anne Hansen Printed on recycled paper Administrative Assistant II ...... Patti Foley Periodical postage paid at Boston, MA. MIT Tech Talk NEWS September 26, 2007 PAGE 3 MIT appoints 23 faculty to named professorships

Twenty-three MIT faculty members ­Kellogg of MIT Sloan will hold the Class have been appointed to named professor- of 1954 Career Development Profes- ships. All are effective July 1, 2007. sorship for a three-year term. The Class Professor Edward H. Adelson of established this chair in celebration of its brain and cognitive sciences will hold a 40th reunion. five-year John and Dorothy Wilson Profes- Assistant Professor Michael T. Laub sorship. John J. Wilson (S.B. 1929, S.M. of biology will be the Whitehead Career 1930), a life member of the MIT Corpora- Development Professor for a three-year tion since 1958, established the professor- term. ship. Professor Richard Locke of MIT Sloan Assistant Professor Sandy Alexandre was selected as a Class of 1960 Fellow for of the literature section in the School of a two-year term; he won a Class of 1960 Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences will Innovation in Education Award. hold the three-year Class of 1948 Career Associate Professor John Maeda Development Professorship, established of the MIT Media Lab was selected as a by the Class in celebration of its 40th Class of 1960 Fellow for a two-year term; reunion. he also won a Class of 1960 Innovation in Assistant Professor Markus J. Education Award. ­Buehler of civil and environmental engi- Professor Dianne Newman of biol- neering will hold an Esther and Harold ogy will hold a five-year John and Dorothy E. Edgerton Career Development Profes- Wilson Professorship, established in the sorship for a three-year term. The Edg- 1960s by John J. Wilson (S.B. 1929, S.M. erton professorships were established in 1930), a life member of the MIT Corpora- 1973 by the MIT Corporation to honor the tion since 1958. ­Edgertons. Professor Jonas Peters of chemistry Associate Professor Ian Condry of will hold the W.M. Keck Professorship the foreign language and literature sec- of Energy for a five-year term. The Keck tion in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Foundation established the professorship. Social Sciences will be the next holder of Professor Ram Sasisekharan of bio- the three-year Mitsui Career Development logical engineering will hold the five-year Professorship. The Mitsui Group estab- Underwood-Prescott Professorship of Tox- lished the Mitsui Chairs in 1980 to encour- icology, established in 1972 by a gift from age cultural and technological exchange the Underwood Company. between the United States and Japan. Associate Professor Jay Scheib of Assistant Professor Alexander the music and theater arts section in the D’Hooghe will be the next holder of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Class of 1922 Career Development Profes- Sciences will hold the three-year Class of sorship for a three-year term. 1958 Career Development Professorship, PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY Professor Jesus A. del Alamo of elec- established by the Class of 1958 in celebra- trical engineering and computer science tion of its 25th reunion. The long shadows of autumn will hold the five-year Donner Professor- Assistant Professor Gabriella ­Sciolla ship, established with a grant from the of physics will hold the Cecil and Ida Light in late afternoon in Lobby 7 makes long shadows as the days get shorter. Donner Foundation in 1945. Green Career Development Professorship Assistant Professor Vivek Goyal of for a three-year term. Cecil, a member of and computer sci- the Class of 1923, and Ida Green estab- ence will hold an Esther and Harold E. lished the professorship. Edgerton Career Development Professor- Professor Gigliola Staffilani of math- ship for a three-year term. The Edgerton ematics is the next holder of the five-year professorships were established in 1973 Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professorship, by the MIT Corporation to honor the Edg- established in 1963 by Laurence Rockefell- ertons. er and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Assistant Professor Michael Hemann Professor Donca Steriade of linguis- Profile in Excellence: Anne Deveau of biology will hold the three-year Latham tics will hold the five-year Class of 1941 Family Career Development Professor- Professorship, established by the Class of ship, established by Allen Latham Jr. (S.B. 1941 in celebration of its 40th reunion. “Her leadership advances the quality 1930) and his wife, Ruth. Assistant Professor Collin Stultz of and life of the MIT community and our Associate Professor Dina Katabi of electrical engineering and computer sci- ability to function with the exemplary electrical engineering and computer sci- ence will hold the W.M. Keck Career standards MIT is known to foster,” said ence will hold the Class of 1947 Career Development Professorship for a three- Joseph Hankins, Deveau’s colleague. Development Professorship for a three- year term. The Keck Foundation estab- This is what you should know about This leadership includes direct sup- year term. lished the professorship. Anne Deveau. Her colleagues adore her. port of three faculty in the department Assistant Professor Manolis Kellis of Assistant Professor Katrin ­Wehrheim She consistently goes above and beyond and assistance to seven faculty altogeth- electrical engineering and computer sci- of mathematics will hold the Rockwell the call of duty. She is a pleasure to be er. Deveau became involved with the ence is the next holder of the three-year International Career Development Pro- around. No surprise, then, that Deveau, Working Group on Support Staff Issues Van Tassel Career Development Profes- fessorship for a three-year term. The an administrative assistant II in the “to build her connections so she could sorship. Van Tassel, a member of the Class Rockwell International Corporation Trust Department of Architecture, received serve faculty better,” noted Hankins. of 1925, established the chair in 1986. endowed the Rockwell Professorship in the MIT Excellence Award for Serving Not surprisingly, her peers in the Work- Assistant Professor Katherine C. 1985. the Client in 2007. ing Group then selected her to be a co- The annual MIT Excellence Awards convener. are an opportunity to celebrate extraor- Among her many accomplishments, CLASSIFIED ADS dinary staff like Deveau. “Part of our Deveau spearheaded her own task force mission is to recognize and reward staff. on peer resources, designed a web site, MIT has one of the more robust rewards Members of the MIT community may submit and managed communications issues one ad each issue. Ads should be 30 words HOUSING and recognition programs among for both individuals and the department. maximum; they will be edited. Submit by Arlington: Kentwood Condo. 6th floor cor- our peer institutions,” said Human Another nominator, Professor Mark e-mail to [email protected] or mail to Classifieds, ner unit. 2BR, 2BA, balcony. Garage parking, ­Resources Vice President Alison Alden. ­Jarzombek, said, “Anne helps us run the Rm 11-400. Deadline is noon Wednesday the exercise room, function room, laundry, stor- “Participating in the Excellence Awards program so effortlessly because of her week before ­publication. age, swimming pool, 77,79 bus to Harvard Sq, Alewife st. Sale for $349,000 or lease for is a win-win for the nominator and the uncanny ability to adjudicate situations, $1700/month. Call 617-258-7372 or 339-368- nominee.” to notice coherencies and incoherencies, FOR SALE 1588. It is a win-win because faculty and and to respond appropriately.” staff want to acknowledge the people It’s no wonder that faculty outside Crate & Barrel tables: console table w/espresso finish & black side table. Ikea laptop table. Baby VACATION who facilitate their work—and who of Deveau’s department have what Jar- items: Peg Perego stroller, car seat & base; wouldn’t be appreciative of recogni- zombek calls “Deveau envy.” Thanks to Eddie Bauer infant swing & bassinet. Contact 2,200+’ above sea level, 46 private hilltop acres, tion? As Deveau said, “Support staff like the Excellence Awards, Deveau’s col- Paige at [email protected]. surrounded by 10,000+ acres State Wildlife Area, fully-equipped cabin/house, scenic views, myself often work with mostly faculty leagues were able to shine the light on hiking, fishing, & more. Boating & beaches and/or students with few or no other one of their own. nearby. $450/week. Call Joe at 617-823-9930. support staff. By receiving the award I Nominations for this year’s Excel- HOUSING felt a sense of connection to my local lence Awards are due Oct. 17. For more Apt. for rent near Cleveland Circle, Brookline MISCELLANEOUS MIT communities and beyond, such information and to nominate someone, - 3 rooms, bath, kitchen. Newly renovated, in that I feel strengthened further to take go to http://web.mit.edu/hr/rewards/ private house. Parking, electricity, heating/AC, Personal Chef: Affordable gourmet and tradi- water all incl. Private entrance & balcony. 2 tional comfort cuisine professionally prepared on new projects.” excellence. blocks - 300m to Green Line D station. $1,280/ in your home. Holiday baking now available - Deveau felt this connection to the month. 12-mo lease + two mo. sec. deposit breads, cookies, pies. Call 617-957-0087, visit MIT community, and likewise, those HR @ Your Service is a monthly required. E-mail [email protected]. http://ChefRoar.com. who nominated her zeroed in on this. ­column from Human Resources. PAGE 4 September 26, 2007 RESEARCH MIT Tech Talk MIT model could improve some drugs’ effectiveness

Anne Trafton quickly calculate a huge number of possible antibody vari- News Office ants and conformations and predict the molecules’ bind- ing affinity for their targets based on the interactions that occur between atoms. MIT researchers have developed a computer model- Using the new approach, researchers can predict the ing approach that could improve a class of drugs based effectiveness of mutations that might never arise by natu- on antibodies, molecules key to the immune system. The ral evolution. model can predict structural changes in an antibody that “The work demonstrates that by building on the phys- will improve its effectiveness. ics underlying biological molecules, you can engineer The team has already used the model to create a new improvements in a very precise way,” said Tidor. version of cetuximab, a drug commonly used to treat col- The team also used the model with an antilysozyme orectal cancer, that binds to its target with 10 times great- antibody called D44.1, and they were able to achieve a IMAGE COURTESY / SHAUN LIPPOW er affinity than the original molecule. 140-fold improvement in its binding affinity. The authors In this image, a fragment of the antibody Erbitux (cetuximab) The work, which appeared Sept. 23 in an advance pub- expect the model will be useful with other antibodies as binds to its target, a fragment of epidermal growth factor lication of Nature Biotechnology, results from a collabo- well. receptor (EGFR). The blue ribbon at the top is the backbone ration using both laboratory experiments and computer The research was funded by the National Science of the EGFR fragment, and the red and gray ribbons at the simulations between MIT Professors Dane Wittrup and Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. bottom are the backbone of the antibody fragment. The Bruce Tidor. Wittrup and Tidor also co-teach a class focusing on licorice sticks and the balls in the central portion represent “New and better methods for improving antibody connecting fundamental molecular and cellular events to protein side chains making close interactions between the development represent critical technologies for medicine biological function through the use of mathematical mod- antigen (EGFR) and the antibody, with the balls represent- and biotechnology,” said Wittrup, who holds appoint- els and computer simulations. ing one of the mutations designed computationally. ments in MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Chemical Engineering. Tidor holds appointments in biological engineering and the Depart- ment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Antibodies, which are part of nature’s own defense sys- tem against pathogens, are often used for diagnostics and therapeutics. Starting with a specific antibody, the MIT model looks at many possible amino-acid substitutions that could occur in the antibody. It then calculates which substitutions would result in a structure that would form a stronger interaction with the target. “Combining information about protein (antibody) structure with calculations that address the underlying atomic interactions allows us to make rational choices about which changes should be made to a protein to improve its function,” said Shaun Lippow, lead author of the Nature Biotechnology paper. “Protein modeling can reduce the cost of developing antibody-based drugs,” Lippow added, “as well as enable the design of additional protein-based products such as enzymes for the conversion of biomass to fuel.” Lip- pow conducted the research as part of his thesis work in chemical engineering at MIT and is now a member of the protein engineering group at Codon Devices in Cambridge. “Making drugs out of huge, complicated molecules like antibodies is incredibly hard,” said Janna Weh- rle, who oversees computational biology grants at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which partially supported the research. “Dr. Tidor’s new com- putational method can predict which changes in an antibody will make it work better, allowing chemists to focus their efforts on the most promising candidates. This is a perfect example of how modern computing can be harnessed to speed up the development of new drugs.” Traditionally, researchers have developed antibody- based drugs using an evolutionary approach. They remove antibodies from mice and further evolve them PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY in the laboratory, screening for improved efficacy. This can lead to improved binding affinities but the process is MIT researchers have developed a computer model that can design improved antibodies for therapeutic use. From left to time-consuming, and it restricts the control that research- right, Shaun Lippow, a recent Ph.D. recipient in chemical engineering; Karl Dane Wittrup, professor of chemical engineering ers have over the design of antibodies. and biological engineering; and Bruce Tidor, professor of biological engineering and electrical engineering and computer In contrast, the MIT computational approach can science. BP, MIT form research partnership Global energy giant BP and MIT have multiscale simulation of gasification. announced a major research partnership BP America Chair and President Bob around energy conversion technologies. Malone said: “Conversion technologies The program will explore the conversion will play a critical role in regional energy of low-value carbon feedstocks such as security and will provide access to clean petcoke and coal to high-value products energy sources in both the developed and such as electricity, liquid fuels and chemi- developing world. The BP-MIT Advanced cals while minimizing carbon dioxide Conversion Research Project is a natural emissions. research extension to our successful exec- In establishing this partnership, BP also utive development programs at MIT.” becomes the inaugural founding member As the founding member, BP will also of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), support MITEI’s Energy Research Seed which was created in 2006 to address glob- Fund program. This program will fund al energy issues. novel energy research concepts generated In announcing the partnership, MIT from an annual campus-wide solicitation. President Susan Hockfield praised the In addition, BP will support 10 BP-MIT collaboration: “This exciting partnership energy fellows at the Institute each year of between MIT and BP epitomizes what its five-year commitment. the MIT Energy Initiative is designed to Professor Ernest J. Moniz, director of accomplish: the pairing of innovative MIT MITEI, also applauded BP’s commitment GRAPHIC COURTESY / JAMES GRAHAM AND THADDEUS JUSCZYK researchers across the entire campus with to energy research and education. “This results-oriented scientists, engineers and will help transform how the world uses its Joining the crowd planners in industry, working together to abundant coal resources and demonstrates transform the world’s energy marketplace.” a strong commitment to developing the MIT architecture graduate students James Graham and Thaddeus Jusczyk received The BP-MITEI collaboration will sup- next generation of energy technologists, global media attention over the summer after the MIT News Office publicized their port a flagship energy research pro- supporting 50 energy fellowships over the idea for a device that would turn the mechanical energy of human footsteps into a gram, the BP-MIT Advanced Conversion length of the collaboration.” source of electricity. The duo’s proposed “crowd farm,” as shown in this model, was Research Project, which includes several Total funding for the BP Advanced featured in more than 40 media outlets, including The Boston Globe, The Chronicle interrelated research thrusts including Conversion Research Program and for the of Higher Education, The Times of London and MSNBC. advanced simulation of processes for feed- associated MITEI commitments will be at stock conversion and decarbonisation and least $5 million per year for five years. MIT Tech Talk RESEARCH September 26, 2007 PAGE 5 21st-century pack mule: MIT’s ‘exoskeleton’ lightens the load

Anne Trafton people won’t go to bike racks—they’ll go News Office to leg racks,” he said. Exoskeleton devices could boost the weight that a person can carry, lessen the Researchers in the MIT Media Lab’s likelihood of leg or back injury and reduce Biomechatronics Group have created a the perceived level of difficulty of carrying device to lighten the burden for soldiers a heavy load. and others who carry heavy packs and The person wearing the exoskeleton equipment. places his or her feet in boots attached to Their invention, known as an exoskel- a series of tubes that run up the leg to eton, can support much of the weight of a the backpack, transferring the weight of heavy backpack and transfer that weight the backpack to the ground. Springs at the directly to the ground, effectively taking ankle and hip and a damping device at the a load off the back of the person wearing knee allow the device to approximate the the device. walking motion of a human leg, with a very In the September issue of the Interna- small external power input (one watt). tional Journal of Humanoid Robotics, the Other research teams have produced researchers report that their prototype exoskeleton devices that can successful- can successfully take on 80 percent of an ly carry a load but require a large power 80-pound load carried on a person’s back, source (about 3,000 watts, supplied by a but there’s one catch: The current model gasoline engine). impedes the natural walking gait of the When the MIT researchers tested their person wearing it. device, they found that although it helped “You can definitely tell it’s affecting to lighten the load, the user had to con- your gait,” said Conor Walsh, a graduate sume 10 percent more oxygen than nor- student who worked on the project, but mal, because of the extra effort to com- “you do feel it taking the load off and you pensate for the gait interference. definitely feel less stress on your upper The team hopes to revise the design body.” so the exoskeleton more closely mimics The research team was led by Hugh the movement of a human leg, allowing for Herr, principal investigator of the Bio- more normal walking motion. The most mechatronics Group and associate pro- important result of this study, says Walsh, fessor in the MIT Media Lab. Earlier this is that the team’s spring-based, low-energy summer, Herr and his colleagues unveiled design shows promise. the world’s first robotic ankle for lower- “This is the first time that it has been limb amputees. tested,” he said. “We didn’t know what to Eventually Herr hopes to create assis- expect.” tive leg devices that can be useful for any- Other Biomechatronics Group mem- one. Herr said he envisions leg exoskel- bers who contributed to the project were PHOTO / SAMUEL AU etons that could help people run without Daniel Paluska, Ken Pasch, Andrew breathing hard, as well as help to carry Valiente and William Grand. The research Graduate student Conor Walsh demonstrates a prototype of the ‘exoskeleton’ he and other heavy loads. was funded by the Defense Advanced MIT researchers have devised. The invention can successfully take on 80 percent of an “Our dream is that 20 years from now, Research Projects Agency. 80-pound load carried on a person’s back. MIT tether could aid asteroid missions Anne Trafton ful if we need to tow one away from a potential collision Now Carr and Garrick-Bethell say that tying a light- News Office course with Earth, says Christopher Carr, a postdoctoral weight rope completely around an asteroid could solve associate in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and that problem. Once the rope is in place, astronauts could Planetary Sciences. attach themselves to it and maneuver or possibly even Using a tether system devised by MIT researchers, Carr and Ian Garrick-Bethell, a graduate student in the walk along the surface. astronauts could one day stroll across the surface of small department, describe their system in an upcoming issue That would allow an in-depth exploration of the compo- asteroids, collecting samples and otherwise exploring of the journal Acta Astronautica. sition and history of asteroids, which could shed light on these rocks in space without floating away. Walking on an asteroid is much more difficult than some of the big questions about our solar system, such as The ability to visit asteroids could also be invaluable walking on a planet because asteroids have so little grav- how the planets formed, said Carr. for testing equipment for a mission to Mars by humans. ity. An astronaut who tried to step onto one would likely fly “This is an innovative approach to a task nobody has Further, knowing how to tether an asteroid could be help- off or hover above the surface. spent much time thinking about,” said former astronaut Jef- frey Hoffman, an MIT professor of aeronautics and astro- nautics who sponsored the paper. “NASA has taken a brief look at a human visit to a Near Earth Object, and it may be something we can do long before going to Mars. Clever ideas will be necessary to allow people to do useful work near objects on which you cannot ‘land,’ but only ‘dock.’” An asteroid’s gravity varies depending on its density and size, which can range from a speck of dust to some- thing hundreds of kilometers in diameter. On an asteroid that has a diameter larger than eight kilometers, an astro- naut who jumps will probably come back to the surface, Carr said. But if the asteroid is smaller than that, the astro- naut may float away. Even if an asteroid has enough gravity to keep an astro- naut on the surface, it would be difficult to move around or collect samples. “You couldn’t touch anything without sending yourself on a new trajectory or spinning yourself around,” said Garrick-Bethell, who is the first author of the Acta Astronautica paper. Some people have suggested that astronauts could bolt themselves directly to the asteroid, but the granular mate- rial covering the asteroids could prevent this. “It would be like trying to bolt yourself to a pile of gravel or sand,” Garrick-Bethell said. The MIT researchers envision deploying their sys- tem with an astronaut or a remote-controlled rocket that unwinds a spool of rope while flying around the asteroid. When the craft reaches the starting point, a loop is formed and tightened. Astronauts could then be held to the aster- oid using one or more ropes, permitting them to work on the surface. One unknown is whether the rope would cut into the

IMAGE / NASA-JPL granular surface of an asteroid, hindering the system’s effectiveness. But even if the rope does not allow astro- Asteroid 243 Ida, a heavily cratered, irregularly shaped space rock in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is nauts to walk on the surface, it could at least give them shown here with its moon in an image transmitted to Earth from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft. MIT researchers say a tether something to hold onto as they pull themselves along the system could one day allow astronauts to stroll across the surface of asteroids without floating away. asteroid without floating away, said Carr. PAGE 6 September 26, 2007 NEWS MIT Tech Talk

NEWS YOU CAN USE INDIA Continued from Page 1 ing inequities among India’s 1 billion people. Abhijit Banerjee, professor of economics, described Chaplain to the Institute model of selecting research, directing projects and forg- how application of large-scale randomized experiments Robert M. Randolph will be formally installed as ing connections between researchers and the marketplace to measure the effectiveness of anti-poverty programs in as a guide to building international teams for addressing MIT’s first chaplain to the Institute during a cere- India revealed the workings of a public health disaster in energy problems. mony at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, in Kresge Audi- one Indian district. The experiments, conducted by MIT’s (Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande, CEO of Sycamore Net- Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Laboratory (J-PAL), torium. President Susan Hockfield will speak at the works and founder of the Deshpande Center for Techno- illuminated the morbid interplay among low immunization service, as will the Rev. Peter J. Gomes, minister in logical Innovations, gave the event’s closing address.) rates, high absentee rates among doctors and nurses, and the Memorial Church at Harvard University. The panel, “Microfinance, Primary Education and unpredictable clinic hours. Randolph has spent more than a quarter-cen- Health: Understanding Poverty,” gave a view from the Esther Duflo, Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty tury at MIT in various roles. As chaplain to the ground of difficulties in meeting Godrej’s goal of correct- Alleviation and Development, applying the J-PAL method to Institute, Randolph will be charged with working measure primary education programs, discovered the toll alongside the members of the Board of Chaplains, of teacher absenteeism and remote school administrators. who represent many religious traditions, in foster- Nachiket Mor, deputy managing director of ICICI Bank ing interfaith discourse and educating the MIT (formerly the Industrial Credit and Investment Corpo- ration of India), discussed strategies to widen access to community about the history and role of religions credit and the importance of understanding household around the world. His portfolio includes coordinat- finances. ing pastoral response in times of crisis at the Insti- Panelists on “Competitiveness in Indian Industry” tute, raising the profile of religious life at MIT and agreed generally that India resembles China in its shift leading reflection on issues of social justice and from a low- to a high-tech work force and in its approach core values. to faculty teaching loads: In both countries, faculty have very heavy teaching loads, which take time from research and slow industrial development. Discussants included Steve Eppinger, deputy dean and MIT Generator professor at MIT Sloan; Yasheng Huang, associate profes- The MIT Generator, an event focused on bring- sor of management; Shekhar Chowdhury, director of the ing students together and finding ways to improve Indian Institute of Management, and S.P. Kothari, Gordon campus energy and sustainability, will take place Y. Billard Professor of Accounting. from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Sept. 27 in 32-123. Last Adele Naude Santos, dean of the School of Architec- year’s event drew more than 100 students. ture, led the presentations on the role of design and urban planning in India. Panelists included Rahul Malhotra, pro- The MIT Generator will include information on fessor of architecture; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, associate how students can get involved in “greening” the professor of urban studies and planning; and Bish Sanyal, campus and will also feature the chance to join or PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY professor of urban planning. initiate action teams focused on targeted improve- Esther Duflo, Abdul Latif Jameel professor of Poverty Sanyal urged conference participants to view India’s ment areas (e.g., behavior change campaigns, Alleviation and Development, from the department of challenges as more universal than unique: The future of energy maps and audits, lab-to-campus technology Economics, was on a panel called “Microfinance, Primary the world is already here. transfer, transportation, recycling, campus energy Education and Health: Understanind Poverty” at the “Emergent India: An Engagement With MIT” was orga- and carbon goals, funding mechanisms and more). Emergent India conference, held at Bartos Theatre at the nized by the MIT-India Program, the Office of the Provost For more information on the MIT Genera- Media Lab on Friday, Sept. 21. and the foreign languages and literatures section. tor, please visit http://sustainability.mit.edu/­ Generator. HARDY MIT 401(k) Investment Fair Continued from Page 1 She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2000 and her master’s in 2004. For her Ph.D. thesis, Hardy studied Whether you’re already participating in the attend MIT because it was “the best possible school.” automotive engineering and did much of her research at 401(k) plan or haven’t enrolled yet, the MIT Retire- She hesitated because she wanted to study writing but the Ford Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, ment Programs Office hopes you can attend the went along with her brother’s suggestion. She ended up lov- Mich. Through the Ford-MIT Alliance, she worked with MIT 401(k) Investment Fair Oct. 2 at the Stratton ing MIT’s writing program. “It’s a great writing program,” Ford engineers and MIT’s John Heywood to investigate Student Center. The 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. event will she said. “The lecturers and professors are excellent.” a new type of internal combustion engine with improved feature a series of seminars and activities focused However, toward the end of her sophomore year Hardy fuel-efficiency potential. on retirement planning and portfolio management decided to make the jump to engineering, because she “She was able to work with a research focus on a new for investors at all levels. You’ll have the oppor- wanted to be sure she could get a good job after gradua- engine combustion technology, bring some of that work to tion. “Writing you can always go back to,” she said. “I had an industrial setting, and combine those elements into her tunity to enroll in the plan or to make changes to the chance to change, so I decided I should do it.” thesis,” said Heywood, the Sun Jae Professor of Mechani- your account online. Fidelity and MIT retirement Hardy ended up doing all of the coursework for a major cal Engineering. counselors will be available all day for individual in writing except for the thesis. Taking so many classes in Hardy credits much of her success to the inspiration consultations. In addition, there will be a gift for the writing program turned out to be very beneficial for and encouragement of her mother, who holds a doctorate participants, raffles every half hour and refresh- her personal development, she said. “There’s another side in education and instilled in her at a very young age the ments. Look for a complete agenda in your mail. of you that’s not expressed if you only do engineering the importance of education, and her brother, who is a year and Seth Alexander, president of the MIT Invest- whole way through.” a half older and has a doctorate in chemical engineering. ment Management Company, will be the keynote Being part of the writing program also helped Hardy The scarcity of black women in MIT’s graduate engi- speaker; his presentation, “Considerations for Suc- feel like she belonged to a small community, which she neering programs also inspired her to continue her stud- ies as far as possible. She hopes to encourage others to cessful Investing,” will be held in the Sala de Puer- said is important at a large institution like MIT. She also found homes as part of the women’s crew, Experimental follow in her footsteps. to Rico room at noon. Studies Group and as a teaching assistant for Course 18.02 “I would love to find a way to encourage more people to (Multivariable Calculus). do it,” she said. “MIT is welcoming and open to everyone.” Socially responsible investing Last May MIT issued a statement recogniz- ing the abhorrent acts taking place in the Darfur MARS region of Sudan. Since then some MIT employees Continued from Page 1 Hosts Needed have expressed concern about their investments The MIT Hosts to International Students Pro- in the MIT Supplemental 401(k) Plan in relation to The experiment reveals that the southern Martian polar region is the largest body of frozen water on the gram (5-133) helps new international students with Sudan, as Fidelity Investments has several funds planet and the largest, outside of Earth, in the inner solar their transition to life in the United States by pair- with significant holdings in companies that are sup- system, which includes Mars, Earth, Venus and Mercury. ing them with faculty, staff, alumni/ae and friends porting the government of Sudan. Until now, scientists were puzzled by the observation of MIT, including singles, families with children Benefits recognizes that some employees will that a large percentage of the southern polar region sur- and retirees. The program is looking for new hosts want to learn about other options and how to go face does not reflect much light, as it would if there were about adjusting their investments or future contri- ice on the surface. This study shows that much of the ice and host families to offer hospitality and friendship butions. Visit http://hrweb.mit.edu/401k/sudan/ is covered in a layer of dust, but it remains unknown why to incoming students. to learn more about socially responsible investing the dust only covers certain areas, Zuber said. Many hosts invite their students to share and about these investment offerings in the MIT She plans to undertake a similar density study of the holiday dinners, and students generally love the northern polar cap, which does not appear to have a cover- Supplemental 401(k) Plan. chance to partake in a new set of foods and ritu- ing of dust but which abuts against a large apparent dune als. Hosts might answer questions about puzzling field that is not now thought to contain significant ice. phenomena such as decorating lawns in Decem- Zuber is the lead investigator for gravity for the Mars MIT Libraries’ booksale Reconnaissance Orbiter and deputy principal investigator for ber with plastic reindeer sporting illuminated red noses, or carving faces in pumpkins in October. MIT Libraries’ book sale will be held Oct. 2 the altimetry experiment aboard the Mars Global Surveyor. The team also used data from the Mars Odyssey satellite. Depending on their interests, hosts and students from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bush Room (10-105). Such collaborations among teams “really increase the might enjoy local excursions or share common The sale offers a selection of material from value of what any single experiment could show on its interests such as going to museums, playing sports diverse areas including biology, chemistry, com- own,” Zuber said. or watching movies. puter science, engineering, fiction, history, linguis- Jeffrey Andrews-Hanna, an MIT postdoctoral associate To find more information about this MIT vol- tics, management and music. Some free materials in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary will be available. Proceeds will benefit the Librar- Sciences, is also an author on the paper. Other authors unteer program, visit http://web.mit.edu/iso/ ies’ Preservation Fund. The sale is open to the MIT are Roger Phillips of Washington University; Sami Asmar, resources/host_program. Potential hosts should community only. Alexander Konopliv, Jeffrey Plaut and Suzanne Smrekar contact Janka Moss at [email protected], call x3-3795, For more information, contact Charlene Follett of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech; and Frank or visit the International Student Office in Room Lemoine and David Smith of the Planetary Geodynamics or Betsy Granese at x3-5693 or [email protected]. 5-133. Laboratory at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The research was funded by the NASA Mars Program. MIT Tech Talk ARTS September 26, 2007 PAGE 7 NSF fellow to appear on ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Lois Slavin Electrical Engineering, with a concentra- MIT Engineering Systems Division tion in fiber optics and lightwave commu- nications. Jordan was named a National Science MIT Ph.D. student and NSF fellow Foundation fellow and was awarded a full Rhonda Jordan, whose passions include fellowship to pursue her doctoral stud- engineering and rhythm tap, is scheduled ies. She is now a Ph.D. student in MIT’s to perform Sept. 26 with accomplished tap Engineering Systems Division, where she dancer and choreographer Savion Glover will pursue research interests that include on ABC Television’s “Dancing with the applying systems thinking to address com- Stars.” Jordan will appear dur- plex societal problems. ing the final day of the pro- Jordan’s advisor, Professor gram’s three-day season kick- Richard Larson, described her off. as a “hard-core electrical engi- Jordan has been studying neer” who decided a couple dance since age 6 and has for- of years ago that traditional mal training in ballet, jazz, lyri- engineering was too narrow cal and tap. When she was just and technocratic. She took a 8, she became the youngest hiatus from graduate school dancer selected to participate to teach inner-city children in in the Dance Theater of Har- New York City, which so ener- lem residency program in clas- gized her that she sought out sical ballet, co-sponsored with MIT’s Engineering Systems the John F. Kennedy Center for Division as a place to develop the Performing Arts in Wash- Rhonda Jordan her diverse skills and broad- ington. She has performed in ening interests. various venues across the U.S. and around “Because this is her first year at ESD, the world and has taught dance to elemen- it’s too early to say exactly what her ulti- tary and middle-school children in inner- mate research interest may be. However city schools. she seems to be leaning towards education However, dance isn’t Jordan’s only systems, focusing on technology-enabled love. When she was 16 she entered the education systems that can multiply by Fu Foundation School of Engineering and orders of magnitude the number of chil- Applied science at Columbia University to dren in poor communities who can benefit major in electrical engineering. She gradu- from excellent teachers,” Larson said. “We ated magna cum laude from Columbia welcome Rhonda’s intellect, energy and with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical enthusiasm and wish her well on network Engineering and a Master of Science in TV!”

PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY MIT Museum expands with new gallery Grand opening of new addition this weekend

The MIT Museum will celebrate the grand opening of its new 5,000-square-foot addition with a Sept. 29 ribbon-cutting, new exhibits and events, and free admis- sion for all visitors to the museum Sept. 29 and Sept. 30. The $3 million addition will house the Mark Epstein (S.B. 1963, S.M. 1964) Innovation Gallery, MIT 360, a media-rich program and activity area, a new museum IMAGE / FRANCO VAIRANI, SMART CITIES GROUP store and a new street-level entryway. PHOTO / ANNATINA CAPREZ “With this major expansion, the Muse- The MIT Media Lab’s stackable City Car um will establish a bold public presence will be featured in the MIT Museum’s Main squeeze on lower Mas- expansion. sachusetts Ave- For any artist, the opening of a new show is always a high-wire act, but Wendy nue. For the MIT and the Sea: Pioneers in Ocean Jacob, associate professor in visual arts, conveyed that fleeting drama with a literal first time, we’ll Exploration high-wire act at the Sept. 20 reception to celebrate “Between Spaces,” her new have enough exhibit in Wolk Gallery. MIT’s collaborations with the Woods space to fea- Over the course of one long minute (6:45 p.m. to 6:46 p.m.), tightrope walker Hole Oceanographic Institution, the U.S. ture highlights Madeleine Prévost-Lemire walked between an open window in Wolk Gallery and the Navy and industry have illuminated the of some of the fourth floor of Rotch library, making art imitate life. darkest mysteries of the sea. The multi- most current Jacob’s work in “Between Spaces” focuses on emotional states, expansion and media exhibition showcases work by MIT research and contraction, risk and refuge, and on sensations of safety and diffusion. engineers in developing undersea robots innovation here Squeeze Chair, her best-known work, is featured in the Wolk Exhibit. In it, Jacob for ocean exploration. at MIT,” said has reconfigured the living room chair as a soft foam cube with a keyhole-like space John Durant, carved out to accommodate a solo sitter. Air pockets embedded in the cube create MIT Museum No Ordinary Fish: Zebrafish as a a muscle around the sitter that tightens and relaxes, replacing anxiety with a cozy John Durant director. Model for Cancer Research sense of safe and neutral containment. A foot pump operates the mechanism. One of the Set in the middle of the new gallery is In developing Squeeze Chair, Jacob collaborated with Temple Grandin, an autistic museum’s goals for the addition, which an aquatic habitat system that houses 10 artist and animal activist. converted offices into exhibition spaces, aquariums filled with zebrafish, which are Jacob’s other work includes breathing walls and ceilings, warm rosettes, hugging was to permit visitors easier access to the used in MIT cancer research. life vests, and tightropes through living rooms. Her projects involve collaboration with museum as well as to provide “vivid exam- The gallery will also feature sculptural circus performers, homeowners, engineers and scientists. ples of the ways in which MIT research- works by Arthur Ganson created specifi- Jacob has exhibited internationally at the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Whitney ers are continuing to invent the future,” cally for the gallery. Biennial, the MIT List Visual Arts Center, the Chicago Project Room, and Krome Durant noted. “We are very grateful to the MIT alum- (Cologne), among others. She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants includ- The celebration starts with a ribbon ni and museum board members who jump- ing a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Artist Fellowship, Creative Capital Artist cutting at 10:00 a.m. Sept. 29 and launches started this hugely important project,” Fellowship, New Forms Regional Initiative Grant, and an Illinois Arts Council Artist a weekend full of exciting activities. said Mary Leen, associate director of the Fellowship. Exhibits in the ground floor gallery museum. Since 1988, she has been a member of HaHa, the Chicago-based art collective will feature first-time presentations of MIT Leen also noted, “When the Mark that has produced installations, sculpture and video works in the U.S. and Europe. science and technology research. These Epstein Innovation Gallery opens, the HaHa’s ephemeral pieces have been sited in galleries and museums as well as in include: museum’s capacity for event rental space storefronts, outside the legislative chambers, and on the roof of a taxi. will also increase, opening up the possibil- Before coming to MIT in 2003, Jacob taught in the sculpture department at the The MIT Media Laboratory City Car ity to not only host MIT events, but local, College of Fine Arts, Illinois State University, and in the performance department at This lightweight, intelligent electric corporate and community events as well.” the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She received the B.A. degree from Williams vehicle radically reduces urban energy To read the full Epstein Innovation College and the M.F.A. from the Art Institute of Chicago. consumption and carbon footprints. It’s not gallery schedule, go to http://web. “Between Spaces” runs through Dec. 21. The Elliott K. Wolk Gallery (Rm. 7-338) is only completely electric, but also stacks mit.edu/museum/about/news/fall07. free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for easy parking. html#Innovation. PAGE 8 September 26, 2007 ENERGY MIT Tech Talk Students help MITEI ‘walk the talk’ on energy Dan Wesolowski looked out from the second floor of MIT’s Building E25, watching in dismay as students and faculty alike ignored signs to use the revolving door below him and save energy. Person after person coming from the nearby Kendall Square subway walked through the swing door to the side of the revolving door. “A single person walking through a revolving door in February saves enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for 23 minutes,” said Wesolowski, a fourth-year Ph.D. can- didate in materials science and engineering. If everyone used the revolving doors, MIT would save about $7,500 in natural gas a year in E25 alone, which has two of the 29 revolving doors on campus. The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) is now supporting a student plan to encourage that behavior. Wesolowski and three classmates started their Revolving Door Campaign a couple years ago as part of a project for a class in sustainability and planning in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. In tests around campus, their 11- x 17-inch signs saying “Help Conserve Energy, Please Use the Revolving Door” improved revolving door use to 65 percent from 23 per- cent. Based on those results, MITEI is providing funds for printing and installing pedestal-mounted signs at five revolving doors across campus. “I didn’t set out to be a revolving-door activist,” Weso- lowski admitted. “But once I crunched the numbers I saw an opportunity to save energy. Every time you feel a breeze, that’s energy blowing out the door.” The energy savings have to do with heat transfer: revolving doors pre- GRAPHIC COURTESY / STEVEN PETERS, TAREK RACHED AND ELSA OLIVETTI vent the free exchange of conditioned indoor air with out- door air. Software developed by MIT students generated this map showing energy use intensity across campus. Last spring, MITEI The project was one of seven selected earlier this year awarded funds for this work and for six other student projects aimed at cutting campus energy use and encouraging adop- by MITEI’s new Student Campus Energy Project Fund. tion of sustainable energy practices. MITEI is now seeking proposals for new student projects relating to campus sustain- The fund makes money available twice yearly to students ability. Applications are due Oct. 1. to undertake projects in line with the Energy Initiative’s Campus Energy Task Force. The task force recently the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America.” It will and operators. The project aims to develop tools to mea- issued another request for proposals, with a submission include seminars during the second week of spring semes- sure and analyze MIT’s campus energy use, such as the deadline of Oct. 1. The fund was seeded by MITEI with ter in February 2008. energy map. $10,000, plus a supplemental donation of $5,000 from Shell * Plug Load Meters for Appliance Use Case Studies will The students are now getting monthly data from MIT’s Oil Company. measure energy consumption in more detail than at the Department of Facilities on energy use in MIT buildings Other projects funded in the first round include: general building level to include items such as appliances. dating back five years. “The next phase is to launch an * The Wind Turbine Design Competition will be run for The goal is to influence user behavior by providing infor- automated display system to get real-time data on the the first time during Independent Activities Period 2008. mation about how much and for what purpose energy is web so people can see what is going on in their building,” Students will have an opportunity to design and build a consumed within each building. Rached said. “We want to get people involved to change wind turbine capable of harvesting electrical energy from * The Energy Map Project (see graphic above) has behavior.” the wind. developed a prototype map that displays energy use inten- That includes getting incoming freshmen involved in * MIT Generator is a coalition of student groups aim- sity in various MIT buildings with a color scale. campus energy activities from the get-go. Austin Oehlerk- ing to catalyze and support student projects with a focus “This first round of projects is just the tip of the ice- ing, a senior, became interested in sustainable energy after on energy, environment and sustainability issues on MIT’s berg,” said Steven Lanou, deputy director of MIT’s sus- taking a course during Independent Activities Period last campus. The goal for 2007-08 is to expand the community tainability program and a member of the grant review year. He changed from studying economics and finance of students involved in campus energy projects through committee. “With another round of funding available this to . Oehlerking was instrumental more extensive outreach. The next Generator event will semester, I expect to see the ingenuity and creativity of in developing the orientation booklet for 2007 to get fresh- be held Sept. 27 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Stata Cen- student projects continue to grow and inspire us to do men interested in sustainability communities throughout ter’s Kirsch Auditorium (32-123). more to reduce our energy footprint and lead with innova- MIT. “There are at least 12 different student groups,” he * Publicity and Recruitment Booklets for the MIT Sus- tive approaches.” said. “There are so many different projects going on that tainability Community is an Undergraduate Association While the projects place a demand on students’ time, it is hard for people to grasp. The booklet is a great oppor- Campus Sustainability Committee project. It published a they can be a welcome diversion from daily studies, said tunity for them to find their niche among sustainability booklet for freshman orientation to recruit incoming stu- Tarek Rached, a second-year student going for a mas- efforts on campus.” dents for sustainability activities on campus. The booklet ter’s degree in technology and policy. “This is relaxing,” Oehlerking said he’s seen a marked increase in interest contains information about many of MIT’s student groups, he said. Rached and fellow student Steven Peters are in energy since he was a freshman at MIT. “A lot of people clubs and initiatives involved with energy, the environment involved in the Energy Map Project, which is designed to didn’t know about energy initiatives, including me,” he and sustainability. reduce energy use in MIT’s buildings (see accompanying said. “I’ve seen a major shift in interest in the past couple * The Campus Climate Project (Focus the Nation) ­graphic). years because of events like the $100K competition, which aims to widen awareness and conversation about climate Energy consumption in buildings accounts for the vast is seeing a lot more energy business plans and creating change on campus and to motivate and empower students majority of campus energy use and produces more than huge excitement among undergraduates. I’ve also seen a to take action on these issues. The project will be part 90 percent of MIT’s greenhouse gas emissions, but most huge change since MIT President Susan Hockfield came of the national events of Jan. 31, 2008, known as “Focus buildings are used without any feedback to the occupants in and focused on energy.” Freshmen get DEEP into energy and environment Deborah Halber ing students to energy-related opportuni- learned a great deal about alternative ener- issues of science, technology and policy; News Office Correspondent ties around campus. DEEP rounded out gy while getting to see some of MIT’s cut- conversations with students about how to existing FPOP programs on literature, ting edge research performed by students get involved in energy and environmental engineering and outdoor adventures. as well as an awareness in my everyday activities; and tours of MIT facilities such It was uncharacteristically cool during “We were able to give our first-year stu- activities of how to live more green and as the Plasma Science and Fusion Center the day last month when MIT atmospheric dents a whirlwind tour of MIT’s energy and energy efficient.” Zhuo, from Lafayette, and the lab of Heidi Nepf, professor of civil chemistry graduate student Matthew J. environmental programs in research labs, La., is interested in materials science and and environmental engineering. Alvarado found himself talking about glob- campus oper- engineering. The most substantial activity of the al warming to a troupe of newly arrived ations and Patrick week was a one-day audit of the energy MIT freshmen. student initia- Ernst from and environmental footprint of Burton- But that was OK. The 20 students tives, while Brecksville, Connor House, an MIT dormitory. The who signed up for a first-of-its-kind pre- also highlight- Ohio, said, “I students approximated the dorm’s—and orientation session Aug. 21-24 were savvy ing some of feel that my an individual student’s—impact in terms enough to know the difference between the pressing generation of electricity, heating, water use and weather and climate, Alvarado said. At the challenges must make recycling. Students calculated both the Public Garden, along the Freedom Trail and complex great prog- resource and financial savings of efficiency and through Haymarket, Alvarado talked questions ress in the improvements in each of these areas. about how global warming could signifi- that they can field of energy DEEP organizers also collaborated cantly raise the level of storm surges Bos- explore dur- production. with the Terrascope Program to play the ton experiences in the coming centuries. ing their MIT Participat- interactive FishBanks game, in which stu- The tour was just one of the ways mem- career,” said ing in DEEP dents take on the role of fishing compa- bers of the Class of 2011 learned about Beth C. Con- allowed me to nies in a competitive fishery, attempting energy and environment in and around MIT lin, education become famil- to preserve the long-term health of their through Discover Energy and Environmen- program coor- PHOTO / MARK MORELLI iar with pro- industry. The game holds lessons on the tal Programs at MIT (DEEP@MIT), a new dinator for Left to right, freshmen Ian Tracy, Tung Shen Chew, grams at MIT management of common resources in a freshman preorientation program (FPOP) the Labora- Hannah Farrow and Melissa Diskin develop their strat- that deal with competitive market. created with support from the d’Arbeloff tory for Ener- egy for conquering the fishing industry in the FishBanks energy and Amanda C. Graham, education program Fund for Excellence in Education. gy and the game, part of a preorientation session last month. environmen- manager for LFEE and MITEI, oversaw the Participating students learned about Environment tal issues.” planning and implementation of DEEP@ relevant academic programs, green cam- (LFEE) and the MIT Energy Initiative. DEEP program components included MIT. “It was terrific fun to meet students pus operations and pioneering student “Everyone should learn about energy activities gauging the individual, campus in their first few days at MIT who were projects such as the Biodiesel@MIT initia- and be aware and proactive about their and global impact of energy and resource excited and committed to making a posi- tive and the Generator, an event introduc- world,” said participant Denys Zhuo. “I use; interactive discussions with faculty on tive environmental difference,” she said.