Fall 2020 MechEConnects Special Issue

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News from the MIT MechEConnects Department of Mechanical Engineering

Fall 2020 meche.mit.edu Special Issue >

Table of Contents About MechE

The Department of Mechanical Engineering 3 Letter from Evelyn Wang – MechE – embodies the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s motto mens et 4-11 Featured Article: Slowing the spread manus, “mind and hand,” as well as “heart” by combining analysis and hands-on discovery 12-13 Student Spotlight: Ivan Goryachev and Ryan Koeppen with a commitment to making the world a Deploying non-contact vitals sensing kiosks across campus better place. By leveraging our strengths, we aspire to solve some of the biggest challenges 14-17 Research Focus: Delivering life-saving oxygen facing our world – and train the next generation of mechanical engineers to develop 18-19 Alumni Profile: Jasmine Florentine ’11, SM ‘15 creative products and solutions. Illustrating Covid-19 hygiene education

20-21 Class Close-Up: Hands-on education goes remote Newsletter Staff 22-23 Talking Shop: Assistant Professor Giovanni Traverso Mary Beth Gallagher Editorial Director & Staff Writer 24-26 News & Awards Professor Kenneth Kamrin 27 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives Faculty Advisor

John Freidah Director of Photography

Wing Ngan Designer Professor Gareth McKinley and the team at the Hatsopoulos Microfluids Laboratory held a socially distant group gathering on Killian Court this summer to celebrate the Zoom-based PhD defense of Contact MechE Anoop Rajappan. Credit: Gareth McKinley Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 3-174 Cambridge, MA 02139

Email us at [email protected]

Cover: As the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the world, faculty, students, and staff at MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering immediately started connecting the dots by researching how the virus spreads, developing medical devices and PPE to keep frontline workers and patients safe, and piloting creative ways to teach hands-on classes remotely.

Credit: Wing Ngan

Have updates or news to share with the MechE community? Have ideas for future issues of MechE Connects?

Email us at [email protected] 3

Dear Alumni, Students, Faculty, Staff, and Friends,

As I sit down to write this letter, it’s sobering to consider just how much the world has changed since our last issue of MechE Connects. While we have all had to adjust to the new reality that Covid-19 presents, there are many in our community who have experienced loss and hardship as a direct result of the pandemic. Seeing how members of our community have supported one another during difficult times has been inspiring and given me hope.

One moment that best captures this for me was during our virtual Commencement celebration in May. Over 450 members of the wider MIT MechE community joined us to support the Class of 2020. As a slideshow celebrating each individual graduating student played, the chat window in Zoom became a constant stream of well wishes and messages of support.

At MIT MechE, we pride ourselves in truly embodying MIT’s motto mens et manus – “mind and hand.” We often like to add an addendum to our school motto: “and heart.” Using our mind, hand, and heart is at the core of everything we do as researchers and educators. This has never been truer than the past seven months.

Since the very early days of the pandemic, our faculty, students, and staff have been a driving Since the very early force in developing solutions for the many complex problems caused by the virus. They set days of the pandemic, their research projects aside to build ventilator prototypes in basements, donate PPE from their labs, and collaborate with local hospitals to protect frontline workers. our faculty, students, and staff have been Our faculty and dedicated teaching staff also worked to ensure we could continue to execute our educational mission as we transitioned to a virtual learning environment. With just two a driving force in weeks of lead time, they shipped kits of materials to students, set up remote controlled developing solutions interactive labs, and planned virtual poster sessions. for the many complex In this special issue of MechE Connects, we highlight just a few examples of how our faculty, problems caused by students, staff, and alumni have used their minds, hands, and hearts to innovate, develop solutions, and support others in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. As we continue in what the virus. is likely to be one of the most challenging academic years in MIT’s history, I find tremendous hope in knowing that the best and brightest minds in MIT MechE are using their diverse skillsets to help our community and our world.

Sincerely,

Evelyn Wang, Gail E. Kendall Professor and Department Head 4

As Covid-19 cases increased worldwide, An air of uncertainty descended on MIT’s campus in early March. Whispers and mechanical engineers developed solutions to rumors about campus closing down swirled help slow and stop the spread of the virus. in the hallways. Students convened en masse on Killian Court to dance, hug, and cry as they were told they had until the end of the week to vacate campus. Within By Mary Beth Gallagher days, the Infinite Corridor’s usual stream of activity and noise was silenced.

While MIT’s dorms and classrooms became unnervingly quiet, there was a thrum of activity among faculty and researchers. Research teams across the Institute quickly swung into action, hatching plans and developing technologies to slow or stop the spread of the virus. These teams were 5

“The Anatomy of a Sneeze” – high-speed video imaging reveals the two main components of a sneeze in colorful detail: a shower of larger droplets (shown in green) and a cloud made of a mixture of smaller droplets suspended in moist, warm gas (shown in red). Credit: Lydia Bourouiba Slowing the Spread

among the only people allowed on campus Wang, Gail E. Kendall Professor and Predicting the spread with this spring to work on Covid-19 related head of MIT’s Department of Mechanical machine learning research. Engineering. “This uniquely positioned our research community to serve as leaders Earlier this year as coronavirus cases spiked The unprecedented nature of this global in the global response to the Covid-19 in countries like Italy, South Korea, and the pandemic necessitates a diverse range pandemic.” U.S., two main questions emerged: how of solutions. From designing low-cost many cases would there be in each country ventilators to understanding how the virus Since the beginning of the year, a number and what measures could be taken to stop is transmitted and manufacturing PPE, of mechanical engineering faculty and the spread? George Barbastathis, professor mechanical engineers have been a driving research staff at MIT have led collaborative of mechanical engineering, worked with Raj force in many research projects that seek research efforts in the fight against the Dandekar, a PhD candidate studying civil to slow Covid-19’s spread and save lives. virus. These projects have had a tangible and environmental engineering, to develop impact – deepening our understanding a model that could answer these questions. “Mechanical engineers are used to of how the virus spreads, informing developing concrete solutions for the international guidelines, and protecting The pair created the first-ever model that grand challenges the world faces across a frontline workers and vulnerable combined data from the spread of Covid-19 vast range of research areas,” says Evelyn populations. with a neural network to make predictions 6

about the spread and determine which training a neural network to also identify “If the U.S. were to follow the same policy quarantine measures were effective. those who were under quarantine and of relaxing quarantine measures too soon, Dandekar first began developing the therefore no longer at risk to spread the we have predicted that the consequences model as a project for class 2.168, Learning virus. Using data after the 500th case was would be far more catastrophic,” Machines, which Barbastathis teaches. He recorded in Wuhan, Italy, South Korea, Barbastathis said at the time. Weeks later, was inspired by a mathematical approach and the U.S., Barbastathis and Dandekar many states in the U.S. found these words developed by Christopher Rackauckas, mapped the spread of the virus and derived to ring true as cases spiked. instructor of mathematics at MIT, that was what is known as the “quarantine control published on a pre-print server in January of strength function.” Shortly after making their model publicly this year. available, the research team was inundated The result, perhaps unsurprisingly, with requests from Spain to Silicon Valley. “I found it really interesting working in this demonstrated that the stronger the Biopharmaceutical companies, government new field of scientific machine learning, quarantine measures, the more effective entities, and fellow academics were which combines machine learning with a country was in slowing or stopping interested in applying the model to their the physical world using real-life data,” the spread. After releasing their model own work. says Dandekar. Their model enhanced the open-source on the web, Barbastathis traditional SEIR model, which captures reflected on the second wave that had Over the summer, Barbastathis and the number of “susceptible,” “exposed,” just hit South Korea during an interview Dandekar began collaborating with “infected,” and “recovered” individuals, by in early April. Rackauckas and Emma Wang, a sophomore

US: Number of cases US: No quarantine model 1x10

8x10

6x10 US current model

4x10

Italy model 2x10 Wuhan model

Korea model 1 April 9 April 17 April’ 20

This figure shows the model prediction of the infected case count for the United States in April 2020 both with and without quarantine control, as compared to the predictions for Italy, Wuhan, and South Korea. Credit: Barbastathis and Dandekar 7

With our new model, we are able to transform data about Covid-19 into data about how well quarantine measures succeeded in containing the spread per country and even per state. Professor George Barbastathis Credit: Tony Pulsone

studying electrical engineering and can actually correlate the rate of this growth fundamental fluid dynamics in relation computer science, to make their model with various aspects of the policies that are to pathogen transmission as well as even more useful to other researchers being followed,” Barbastathis adds. how droplets are exhaled from one across the world. The result is a toolkit that person – through sneezing, coughing, or offers both diagnostic and predictive data While Barbastathis and his colleagues are breathing – and spread through the air to on a more granular level. hoping to understand the spread of the another person. This research combines virus on a national or state level, Lydia experiments and modeling. “With our new model, we are able to Bourouiba, associate professor of civil and transform data about Covid-19 into data environmental engineering with a joint Early this year, Bourouiba became about how well quarantine measures appointment in mechanical engineering at concerned about the patterns she was succeeded in containing the spread MIT, is trying to understand the spread on a noticing with the virus that would soon per country and even per state,” says micro-level. be named SARS-CoV-2, or Covid-19. Rackauckas. “Now we have a tool that can “I was paying very close attention to the assign a global quarantine strength score Mapping the path of viral particles unprecedented efforts of control that were that researchers can then use to correlate to deployed in Wuhan. By the end of January, all sorts of other social phenomenon.” Bourouiba has spent her entire career trying it was very clear to me that this was going to understand how diseases spread from to be a pandemic,” recalls Bourouiba. According to Barbastathis, the resulting one person to another. After her experience model is a testament to what can be as a graduate student in Canada during the She started sounding the alarm to accomplished through interdisciplinary outbreak of SARS-CoV-1, commonly known various agencies and organizations collaboration. “Our team represents four as SARS, she combined her expertise in while continuing to pursue ongoing different departments and we’re very proud fluid dynamics with epidemiology, studying efforts in her team’s research. She also of that,” he says. the transmission of a range of influenza focused her teaching in class 2.250, viruses as a postdoctoral researcher and Fluids and Diseases, on events related The team hopes that the new model instructor. to SARS-CoV-2. will provide insights into exactly which quarantine or social distancing methods When she founded The Fluid Dynamics In late March, Bourouiba published are most effective in stopping the spread of of Disease Transmission Laboratory at research in JAMA that continued to discuss the virus. “Our aspiration is that our model MIT, Bourouiba continued to focus on the paradigm of disease transmission she 8

had proposed in the past, including during distancing rules, such as staying six feet multiphase gaseous cloud and the cloud is a TEDMED lecture in 2019. In the article, apart from others. However, based on years critical to drive the overall flow.” she made a call to challenge and update of research, Bourouiba found particles the current scientific framework that has exhaled from an individual can travel much Bourouiba’s team uses a combination of shaped public health recommendations farther than previously thought. modeling and optical techniques including about the routes of respiratory disease high-speed imaging, shadowgraphy, transmission. The main problem with the outdated model schlieren, and a range of particle detection is how exhalations are classified. “The and imaging, to map the transient flow Many government and health organizations physics of the process of exhalations cannot of various exhalations. They use these had used a disease transmission framework be categorized into isolated large droplets technologies to image and quantify a range developed in the 1930s by William Firth verses aerosols,” says Bourouiba. “It’s a of exhalations – including coughing and Wells to inform mask policies or social continuum of droplets moving within a sneezing – and create models of these 9

The physics of the process of exhalations cannot be categorized into isolated large droplets verses aerosols. Associate Professor Lydia Bourouiba and her team focus on understanding the fluid dynamics of disease transmission. Pictured on the previous page – a drop impact on a thin liquid film with a crown rising upward with unsteady rim bordering the crown. Credit: Lydia Bourouiba complex flow exhalations. The resulting continuously evolving knowledge,” she says production of a disposable face shield. gaseous cloud can carry and propel “In addition, investments in research on Martin Culpepper, Class of 1960 Fellow and droplets expelled up to 16 feet away from prevention and control between pandemics professor of mechanical engineering, and a cough and up to 27 feet away from a is as critical to allow a strong basis of his team at MIT Project Manus were one sneeze. knowledge to start from in these regularly of the first groups of researchers to ramp- occurring local or global events.” up manufacturing of a final product in an The findings and public awareness effort to protect people from the spread of in Bourouiba’s article helped reshape Moving forward, Bourouiba will focus Covid-19. guidance on wearing face masks in public on studies that build upon her previous in various locations. Many, including work. This will include multiscale fluid Protecting essential workers Bourouiba, felt the substantial delay in modeling pertaining to the assessment of issuing guidelines on face masks in some material efficacy for respiratory protection With the number of infected individuals locations did not help with desirable early and collaborations to examine the fluid rising rapidly in cities like New York and critical containment of the epidemic. dynamics effects of the actual Covid-19 virus Boston in March, a primary concern in the and other pathogens. She is also focusing fight against Covid-19 centered on personal “The review of the SARS event and the on air flow in indoor settings, in particular protective equipment, or PPE. N95 masks toll it had – although now dwarfed by in educational or healthcare-related and other protective equipment were in SARS-CoV-2 – led to one major lesson settings, to ensure the safety of occupants, short supply. Many healthcare professionals learned: we cannot wait to have definitive patients, and healthcare workers. were advised to keep masks on for longer and final scientific answers in the heat than what is safe, putting both themselves of a pandemic, typically involving a new Another team at MIT has also been and their patients at risk. Labs across pathogen. The precautionary principle focusing on the safety of doctors, nurses, MIT donated masks and gloves to local should always be used in combination with and frontline workers through the mass hospitals to help address the shortage. 10

MIT donated 100,000 disposable face shields designed by Professor Martin Culpepper and MIT Project Manus to hospitals around the country – including at Boston Medical Center. Credit: Boston Medical Center

Meanwhile well-intentioned people turned The solution they landed on was a low- to sewing machines and 3D printers to cost disposable face shield that healthcare People were trying make non-medical grade solutions. workers could secure around their face and to deal with the neck – protecting themselves and extending Culpepper worked with Elazer Edelman, the use of the mask they wore underneath mask shortage the Edward J. Poitras Professor in Medical the shield. Engineering and Science at MIT, director of by making more MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Culpepper began working on the initial Science, and head the MIT Medical Crisis prototype of the face shield at home in of them, but we Outreach Team, to tackle this problem. early March. With the help of a laser cutter In addition to being a professor at MIT, in his basement and the assistance of his wanted to slow Edelman is a practicing cardiologist at children, he tested materials and made a down the rate at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The pair few prototypes. MIT Project Manus staff took a different approach to tackling the then made dozens of the prototypes using a which healthcare PPE shortage. laser cutter in the Metropolis makerspace to iterate the design to a final state. They also workers need to “People were trying to deal with the mask used a Zund large-format machine in MIT’s shortage by making more of them, but Center for Bits and Atoms to experiment change their masks. we wanted to slow down the rate at which with materials that can’t be processed on a healthcare workers need to change their laser cutter. Culpepper collaborated closely masks,” Culpepper explains. with Edelman to test designs in the field. 11

Edelman worked with his colleagues at Manus looked to mass produce the shields. itself. It was our job to be the stopgap, to be the hospital to get feedback on the initial The shields were specifically designed there when people in an emergency needed design. “I brought the prototypes into the to be manufactured at scale. Die cutting something quickly until the supply chain hospital and showed nurses and physicians machines could easily cut the design into stabilized,” he reflects. how to store, assemble and use these thousands of flat sheets per hour. The devices,” says Edelman. “We then asked sheets were made of polycarbonate and The face shields have helped protect the nurses and physicians to use them in polyethylene terephthalate glycol, materials hundreds of thousands of healthcare non-Covid situations to give us feedback on carefully chosen to ensure there wouldn’t workers and patients who otherwise would the design.” be strain on the supply chain. have needed to turn to unsafe PPE options as cases rose exponentially. Culpepper notes that Edelman’s perspective MIT and the face shield manufacturer, was vital to the project. “Elazer has mens Polymershapes, donated over 100,000 face et manus in his veins,” says Culpepper. shields to hospitals, urgent care centers, Over the summer, signs of life slowly “He has an amazing way of taking clinician and first responders in the areas hit hardest returned to campus. More research teams feedback, combining it with his experience by the virus including Boston and New York. were allowed to go back to their laboratories and perspective, and then translating this As of October, over 800,000 shields had to resume work on non-Covid related all into actionable engineering speak. He been produced by Polymershapes. research. A number of undergraduate was a critical link in the chain of successes seniors moved on campus to take classes that made this happen.” According to Culpepper, the supply chain with in-person components. While many stabilized more rapidly than what had mechanical engineering groups can shift Armed with positive feedback from initially been predicted. “I’m happy the their focus back to other research projects, clinicians, Culpepper and MIT Project supply chain for face shields is righting developing solutions for the new reality the world faces will continue to be a priority.

“We have an obligation to use our diverse set of skills and expertise to help solve the pressing problems we now face in light of the pandemic,” says Wang.

The MIT designed face shield Until a vaccine is administered to enough provides full coverage around people to stop the virus in its tracks, the forehead, neck, and sides of the face. They arrive in flat mechanical engineers will continue sheets and can be assembled to collaborate with researchers and in minutes by following six easy steps. experts across all disciplines to develop technologies, products, and research that deepens our understanding of the virus and aims to slow its spread across the globe. 12

Student Spotlight: Ivan Goryachev and Ryan Koeppen Deploying non-contact vitals sensing kiosks across campus

When MIT announced plans to welcome people a day. A second trailer was placed Anthony and postdoctoral associate Xiang back some undergraduates, ramp-up next to the testing trailer to complete (Shawn) Zhang SM ’15, PhD ’19 on the research operations, and increase the an initial thermal scan for patients’ development of both the thermal trailer and number of staff on campus this fall, its temperatures. subsequent kiosks that could be deployed administration was faced with the challenge in other locations on campus. of doing so in a way that minimized the “The thermal trailer builds on the research risk of an outbreak on campus. In typical efforts ongoing in my lab, to make multiple “Once Covid-19 cases increased in MIT fashion, several teams of engineers types of non-contact measurements Massachusetts, it became clear that new and researchers started designing and of humans in home and natural solutions were needed to support any on- building solutions to protect the campus environments,” explains Brian Anthony, campus operations. That’s when our team community. principal research scientist and director of started exploring how to apply our research the Device Realization Laboratory. on non-contact vitals sensing on the current Over the summer, a cross-departmental problem,” says Koeppen. team of researchers worked together to Two graduate students in Anthony’s lab, launch a Covid-19 testing trailer outside Ivan Goryachev and Ryan Koeppen ’19, As an undergraduate student in mechanical MIT Medical that could test up to 1,500 have been working alongside a team led by engineering at MIT, Koeppen developed an interest in using mechanical engineering designs for medical applications. Anthony’s A trailer on MIT’s campus developed by a team in the Device Realization Laboratory, including graduate students Ivan Goryachev and Ryan Koeppen, uses thermal cameras to screen for elevated temperatures work on ultrasound and sensing in before a patient gets swab tested for Covid-19. Credit: John Freidah medicine made the Device Realization Laboratory a perfect fit for Koeppen as he commenced his graduate studies last fall.

Goryachev, meanwhile, has a background in the hardware side of product design. A graduate of Northeastern University’s mechanical engineering program, he was part of the founding team at Sparx Hockey, which produces automatic ice skate sharpeners.

In June, Anthony’s team began working to rapidly deploy commercially available hardware in the thermal scanning trailer in order to measure body temperature before individuals get a swab test in the testing trailer outside MIT Medical. 13

Ivan Goryachev (left) and Ryan Koeppen (right) Credit: John Freidah

In addition to outfitting the kiosks with low-cost sensors, the team focused on developing a design that can be manufactured in a scalable way. Goryachev has been working with a company that can take CAD designs “The overall idea, as explained to us by folks Anthony and his team began to learn and ship pre-cut pieces for easy assembly. at MIT Medical, is to have people get pre- about other opportunities to deploy this screened in one trailer so we could separate technology more broadly across campus. “We are trying to find a balance of making individuals who are obviously symptomatic sure the kiosks have enough security for and send them to a secure area inside MIT “We started doing some preliminary work the components inside while also creating Medical to limit the chance of spread,” looking into how we can scale and expand something that is inexpensive and really easy explains Goryachev. what Ivan and Shawn did with the trailer to put together,” he adds. down, in terms of size, cost, and added The first trailer uses thermal cameras to functionality, so that it’s easily deployable The team envisions different scenarios where screen for elevated temperatures. After to other campus locations or for other use a self-service human assessment kiosk could being scanned, a message pops up on a scenarios,” adds Koeppen. be used in support of campus needs during screen indicating whether individuals can the Covid-19 pandemic, such as rapid daily safely proceed to the swab testing trailer or, The team will use low-cost off-the-shelf screening at entrances or for quantified self- if their temperature is elevated and verified optical, acoustic, and radar sensors and attestation. The kiosks will also help explore by a second non-contact thermometer, go thermal cameras to outfit the kiosks. novel non-contact sensors and their uses in directly to a secure area in MIT Medical. Their goal is to initially deploy a thermal health and wellness. screening system to support current Zhang created the software and imaging campus needs, with scalability to integrate “It’s not every day you have the opportunity system that combines calibrated infrared more sensors for additional signals, to develop systems that will collect human and visible cameras. The system tracks including heart rate, breathing rate, data from potentially thousands of people and measures a subject’s skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation, giving a in a relatively controlled and fast way,” says around the eyes, which is reflective of more complete picture of an individual’s Koeppen. “We have a chance to develop our an individual’s core temperature. It also physiological state. engineering and human-centric design skills, integrates additional sensors for measuring and help campus.” and correcting for environmental effects “Typically to get robust information on such as room temperature and humidity. heart rate and breathing rate, there needs For Koeppen, one of the biggest takeaways Goryachev built the mechanical rack and to be some kind of contact with a patient,” from the trailer and kiosk projects has been rolling setup for the camera and screen explains Koeppen. “If you can measure this how many people have been willing to help. system. data in a robust way with sensors that don’t “People see the immediate need we are require contacting the patient, it would be addressing with our work, so everybody As Goryachev and Zhang worked on getting a novel development in terms of the use of has been willing to jump on board and get the thermal scanning trailer operational, sensors in medicine.” involved,” he adds. 14

Research Focus: Delivering life-saving oxygen

At the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy, doctors and healthcare professionals were faced with harrowing decisions. Hospitals were running out of ventilators, forcing doctors to choose which patients had the best chance of survival, and which didn’t.

“It was a very difficult time for Italy,” recalls Daniele Vivona, a mechanical engineering graduate student from Italy. In early March, Vivona and a team of researchers at MIT’s Electrochemical Energy Lab (EEL) started The team at MIT’s Electrochemical Energy Lab developed a portable oxygen concentrator that uses electrochemical reactions to produce pure oxygen that can be delivered to patients. Credit: John Freidah to devise a plan to develop an oxygen concentrator that might one day help hospitals, like those in Italy, deliver oxygen South Korea, to better understand their and anode in the device, while fellow to patients who so desperately need it. needs. They set out to make a low-cost and postdoctoral associate Yunguang Zhu has portable oxygen concentrator to improve been focusing on the chemistry involved in

“Traditionally our lab uses electrons to clinical management in hospitals that the H2O2 membrane. break molecules that generate energy were overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients, carriers,” explains Yang Shao-Horn, in addition to providing solutions that As the team continues to work on the professor of mechanical engineering and could be adopted in places with limited concentrator, they are looking into various EEL’s director. “We wanted to figure out how infrastructure like field hospitals or ways it can help doctors save lives – to take our expertise in electrochemistry developing countries. including while transporting patients from and use it to create a device to make an the ICU to the operating room. oxygen concentrator that can be delivered The resulting device resembles a typical to patients.” electrochemical cell battery. Water and “We’re hoping to have something portable air are pumped through a cell with a enough that patients could potentially use Shao-Horn’s team is one of several groups cathode that produces negative electrons. the device at home and we provide doctors that have been developing technologies to The water is passed through a catalytic with more options to address diverse help hospitals around the world provide H2O2 membrane that helps separate situations that require the delivery of oxygen life-saving oxygen to patients with Covid-19 oxygen from the air before being positively to patients,” says Eom. and other respiratory illnesses. charged by an anode. After passing through an oxygen compressor, pure oxygen then Open-source ventilator designs A low-cost portable oxygen flows to an oxygen tank, where it can concentrator be readily delivered and used to treat Stories of Italian hospitals running out of patients. ventilators were the impetus for another As a starting point, Shao-Horn and her MIT-led project known as the MIT team at EEL reached out to Boston-area Postdoctoral associate C. John Eom has Emergency Ventilator Team. “This project doctors, as well as doctors in Italy and been leading efforts to improve the cathode started around the time of news reports 15

We wanted to figure out how to take our expertise in electrochemistry and use it to create a device to make an oxygen concentrator that can be delivered to patients.

from Italy describing ventilators being could then use to manufacture low-cost students and alumni, including a trio from rationed due to shortages, and available ventilators for emergency use. Professor Daniela Rus’s group in MIT data at that time suggested about 10 CSAIL. They used a design developed in the percent of Covid patients would require an “We realized that as researchers, our best mechanical engineering class 2.75, Medical ICU,” alum Alexander Slocum Jr. SB ’08, SM role would be supporting other people Device Design, back in 2010 as a starting ’10, PhD ’13 told MIT News in April. who had more capabilities to execute and point. Graduate student Kimberly Jung, produce ventilators than we did,” recalls a West Point graduate who has served in Slocum Jr. worked with his father Alexander Hanumara. “So, we focused heavily on the Army, acted as the “executive officer,” Slocum Sr., Walter M. May and A. Hazel developing the base requirements for safe holding the team together. May Professor of Mechanical Engineering, low-cost ventilation and, following from as well as research scientist Nevan this, a reference hardware and software With insights gathered from the clinical Hanumara SM ’06, PhD ’12, and together design.” community, they developed multiple they developed a plan to release an open- prototype iterations, wrote code, and source design that companies worldwide The team grew to include MIT graduate conducted animal studies. As the work

The ventilator design developed by the MIT Emergency Ventilator Team includes an Ambu bag, which is squeezed by mechanical paddles driven by a small motor. This directs air through a tube that is placed in the patient’s airway. Image courtesy of the researchers 16

We knew splitting ventilators was a major challenge, so we aimed to understand what the challenges were and address them to make it feasible to treat multiple patients using one ventilator. progressed, it was posted to an open- been helping others develop solutions that Srinivasan PhD ’20, developed a method source site. Within a few months, over fit their own country’s needs. to split a ventilator so it can treat two or 24,000 people had registered to gain potentially more patients at a time instead access to the site. Splitting ventilators to treat of one. Their approach is meant only as multiple patients a last resort when there aren’t enough “Since March there has been a tremendous ventilators to meet the need. and humbling international response to Giovanni Traverso, Karl Van Tassel our work,” adds Hanumara. The team (1925) Career Development Professor of “We saw this as an opportunity where has refocused to help groups around Mechanical Engineering, together with we might be able to help hospitals facing the world refine the designs and deploy collaborators from Brigham and Women’s ventilator shortages due to Covid-19,” ventilators. From an all-girl robotics team in Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, says Traverso. “While other teams were Afghanistan to groups in New York, Ireland, and Philips, took a different approach in developing new ventilators, our approach India, Chile, and Morocco, Hanumara and trying to solve the ventilator shortage. Their was to address situations where people the MIT Emergency Ventilator team have effort, led by postdoctoral associate Shriya can’t make their own ventilators or

Schematic setup on a closed-circuit ventilator for simultaneous ventilation of two patients. Credit: Science Translational Medicine, Srinivasan et al. 17

The split ventilator system utilizes two flow valves that can tailor the flow of oxygen for each individual patient. Image courtesy of the researchers augment the capacity of all ventilators. ventilator. Healthcare professionals can rural towns that have run out of ventilators We wanted to help inform how they could use these valves to tailor the flow of oxygen and cannot afford emergency ventilators,” amplify their current capacity further.” to each individual patient. The team also Srinivasan says. added new safety measures, including Splitting ventilators between two patients pressure release valves and alarms, to make While the methods were different, these provides a host of logistical issues including sure patients don’t receive too much or too three research teams share a central matching flow rates and delivering the little oxygen as their condition changes. purpose: to provide oxygen to those whose same amount of oxygen to two patients lives depend on it. Whether it’s through who may have different needs. “Previous The research team was able to successfully electrochemical reactions, open-source designs haven’t provided the ability to test their new method with the help of an ventilator designs, or splitting ventilators, customize the treatment to each patient, artificial lung and through simultaneous this research could help hospitals weather who will invariably present with variable ventilation of two pigs. As with the MIT further spikes in Covid-19 cases and put needs,” says Srinivasan. “Our approach Emergency Ventilator Team, the team is solutions in place in the event of future focused closely on this aspect and enabled working with international groups to bring pandemics. the customization of volume and pressure the split ventilator technology to countries for each patient.” that need additional infrastructure to treat patients with respiratory diseases like “We knew splitting ventilators was a major Covid-19. Their research was published in challenge, so we aimed to understand what Science Translational Medicine and the team the challenges were and address them to started a non-profit, Project Prana, to help make it feasible to treat multiple patients support the dissemination of the work. using one ventilator,” adds Traverso “We’re also working with large healthcare To tackle these challenges, Srinivasan and systems and startups in India, Bangladesh, Traverso added two flow valves to the split and Venezuela to bring the system to the 18

Alumni Profile: Jasmine Florentine ’11, SM ‘15 Illustrating Covid-19 hygiene education

Cartoons and illustrations have long been after a shift to common mistakes people in class 2.009, Product Engineering used to convey important health and safety use when wearing face masks. Processes, she learned the importance of messages. From emergency manuals good user research and user design. on airplanes to posters in hotel rooms “With cartoons you can simplify the real depicting what to do in case of a fire, they world into a couple of lines and colors,” “One of the central challenges when doing can communicate life-saving information in explains alum Jasmine Florentine ’11, SM user research is figuring out how to clearly clear and simple terms that are universally ’15, who has a lifelong love of drawing and communicate technical concepts to people understood. serves as TeamOSV-X’s primary illustrator. of all backgrounds,” she adds.

An international multidisciplinary team Based in Dublin, Florentine works as Florentine had to grapple with this of volunteers known as TeamOSV-X has a Mechatronics Engineer for Eiratech challenge as a graduate student studying been utilizing this medium to demonstrate Robotics by day. As Covid-19 spread around mechanical engineering at MIT. For her health, hygiene, and safety best practices the globe, she found herself wondering master’s thesis, she worked on household related to Covid-19. They have released what she as an engineer could do to help. heating devices that would be powered by open-source educational posters and An internet search led her to TeamOSV a new solar thermal technology for use in resources that provide guidelines ranging – which stands for Team Open Source India. While the technology worked in a lab from how healthcare professionals can Ventilator. setting, it wasn’t yet functional in the field, disinfect themselves when returning home which posed a challenge when trying to She quickly found out that there were get user feedback. To complicate matters, enough engineers working on various Florentine didn’t speak the language of the initiatives for open-source ventilators. end-users in rural India. As a result, she had While on one of the TeamOSV Slack to get creative with her user research. channels, Florentine connected with Dr. Paula Lengerke Diaz of Mayo Clinic Armed with look-a-like dummy about her interest in educational outreach prototypes and storyboards that related to Covid-19. Their efforts spun out demonstrated how people would use the into a project known as TeamOSV-X. products, Florentine gathered user feedback in Ladakh, India. “The team wasn’t interested in building a new technology, but rather in creating “Those prototypes and storyboards were better guidance materials for healthcare really effective in getting feedback and a workers as well as for the broader great example of how Jasmine combines community,” says Florentine. strong visual sense and imagination with engineering skill,” says Maria Yang, Florentine drew upon her background both professor of mechanical engineering and

Jasmine Florentine ’11, SM ’15 in illustration and user design to help Team Florentine’s graduate advisor. “Illustrations OSV-X prepare clear, easy-to-understand and storyboards or cartoons are a posters and resources. As an undergrad particularly powerful way to show the value 19

Florentine’s illustrations have been used in a series of educational posters, including this one demonstrating how healthcare workers can sanitize after returning home from a shift. Credit: Team OSV

of a product because they can convey visualize in the posters. Based on this text, community focus on the correct use of so much about the product beyond only Florentine would draw illustrations that face masks. its use.” were then laid out by a graphic designer. The team released the posters in English, This ability to combine engineering and In their first series of posters, the team Spanish, Portuguese, and French to ensure artwork is something that Florentine focused on important information for they are useful to an international audience. utilized in her role at FIRST Robotics after healthcare workers on the front lines of Florentine hopes to continue using her graduating from MIT. While at FIRST, the pandemic. background in engineering, product design, she created artwork that represented and illustration to help communicate the themes of the various games and “Frontline workers are thinking about so important safety and public health issues competitions. many things. To have these little reminders surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. about what the basic steps are was really “At MIT I learned how to combine important,” says Diaz. “A mistake on the “We would like to keep adding new technology and art to make something proper use of PPE can be deadly under guidelines and posters so we can really functional that also looks good,” adds these circumstances because it exposes make an impact globally to help frontline Florentine. “That has definitely come into you, your family, and your patients.” workers who have been burdened during play both in my time at FIRST and with the the pandemic,” Florentine adds. illustrations for Team OSV-X.” In their illustrations for healthcare workers, the team created checklists for putting on To prepare the illustrations for Team OSV-X, and removing PPE, as well as the steps to Florentine received text from Dr. Diaz take when returning home from working explaining what concepts she wanted to a shift. Their illustrations to the broader 20

Class Close-Up: Hands-on education goes remote Faculty and teaching staff developed creative solutions when transitioning hands-on classes from in-person to remote this spring.

By its very nature, mechanical engineering and remote control for the atomic force and fabrication cycle of a printed circuit is a “hands-on” field. While students microscope (AFM) and scanning electron board (PCB) and learn about inertial studying mechanical engineering receive a microscope (SEM). measurement. In the first five weeks of solid foundation in fundamentals, at some the semester, students were tasked with point nearly every Course 2, Course 2-A, To mimic the in-person lab experience, designing a custom PCB without knowing or Course 2-OE student will take a class the teaching team encouraged students exactly what type of inertial measurement where they roll up their sleeves and design, to attend synchronous labs once remote unit it would be attached to or what device build, test, or create something in labs classes commenced. Comeau began each it would have to interact with. and makerspaces. For many, this hands- lab session by sharing her screen to show on component was a driving force in their how to use the equipment. For the SEM In March, as the decision about remote decision to study mechanical engineering. and AFM labs, students took turns remotely learning was made, technical instructor operating the instruments, taking scans of Steve Banzaert and Professor John Leonard The hands-on aspect of MIT MechE’s objects such as a butterfly wing, CD data quickly reordered the curriculum and education presented unique challenges tracks, and carbon nanotubes. changed the focus of the final projects. They for faculty and teaching staff this spring. sent students home with enough materials Almost overnight, plans for interactive labs, Comeau and Strawser had permission to start making their PCBs at home. poster sessions, and robot competitions to be in the lab while wearing masks and had to be scrapped. staying as distant as possible. This ensured “I essentially created take-home kits by the safe operation of the microscopes, and scavenging parts from the lab,” recalls With just two weeks of lead time, faculty facilitated tasks such as tilting and changing Banzaert. “Over the course of that week and teaching staff had to rework their samples that can only be performed in I sourced enough accessory parts like syllabi and develop creative ways to ensure person. “There were hiccups and mistakes Raspberry Pi’s, keyboards, camera modules, students would still receive the benefits of as we adjusted to operating this equipment and sensors, that everyone went home with hands-on education. Once remote learning remotely, but the students really enjoyed the enough to get started.” commenced, faculty and staff instructors synchronous learning labs,” says Comeau. piloted a number of innovative solutions for The original project would have involved teaching hands-on classes remotely. According to Kim, the remote operation students building a device that gave of the microscopes was as close to the in- directions to navigate from Pappalardo Operating equipment remotely person experience as possible. “We found Lab to the MechE Headquarters on MIT’s that making our lab instruments remotely campus using only inertial measurements. Experiential lab sessions are at the core accessible so they could perform beautiful Instead, students were asked to build of class 2.674, Introduction to Micro/ online lab sessions was almost as effective devices that could navigate the longest Nano Engineering. Before leaving campus as our on-campus lab sessions,” he adds. feasible path in their own homes. in March, lecturer Benita Comeau and teaching assistant Mary Strawser installed Building circuit boards at home Students’ designs were sent to a software to control two large microscopes manufacturer in China for fabrication, then remotely. Along with instructor Sang-Gook In the new class 2.s679, Electronics for shipped directly to their homes where they Kim, professor of mechanical engineering, Mechanical Systems II, students were assembled the PCB and programmed it for Comeau and Strawser tested screen-sharing meant to experience a complete design inertial navigation. 21

Lecturer Benita Comeau (top right) leads students in class 2.674, Introduction to Micro/Nano Engineering, in a remote lab using a scanning electron microscope. Credit: Benita Comeau

“The projects went really well – everybody the rest of the semester would be remote, were quarantining with. After a lecture on ended up with a working device,” adds the 2.00b teaching team, led by Professor video editing best practices, students were Banzaert. “This was a pretty special group David Wallace, turned to the students for asked to film and edit one-minute long of students. They all elected to take an guidance. Students were sent a survey to PLAYsentation videos. advanced electronics subject their senior gauge what they wanted to get out of their year and remained engaged after a historic now-remote experience. The teaching team decided to host disruption. It was great to see what they PLAYsentations as a world premiere event came up with under these extraordinary “It was very clear from their response that complete with a live chat functionality so circumstances.” they still wanted to do something that was students got instant feedback from a global hands-on,” says lecturer Josh Ramos. “Our audience. With Wallace and Ramos serving World premiere of challenge was to figure out how do we give as emcees, 91 student PLAYsentations “PLAYsentations” that hands-on experience to students who premiered during a simulcast in early May. are scattered all across the globe?” With a simple kit of materials, students Each year, class 2.00b, Toy Product developed a wide range of toys to entertain Design, culminates in a fun, colorful As with 2.s679, students in 2.00b were people on their “islands.” event featuring final presentations known provided with materials to build their as “PLAYsentations.” After spending the projects at home. They were sent a custom “I was blown away by the level of effort semester working in teams to design and kit of materials including supplies that students put into their products and build a prototype of a toy, students put on could be found at most art supply stores presentations,” adds Ramos. “I think this short skits that demonstrate how the toy is and electronics for product prototyping. past semester in 2.00b was a testament to meant to be played with. Students were given a new theme – “My constantly striving to provide students with Island” – and tasked with designing and the best hands-on experience, regardless of Once the announcement was made that building a toy to entertain the people they what the constraints are.” 22

Talking Shop: Assistant Professor Giovanni Traverso

As both a biomedical engineer and After receiving his medical degrees from meet global needs for sterilization. The physician, Giovanni Traverso is uniquely the University of Cambridge, his PhD material we focused on was liquid silicone positioned to tackle the challenges from John’s Hopkins University, and rubber, which is often used in baking as associated with Covid-19. Earlier this year, clinical training in internal medicine well as many other applications. Silicone as the enormity of the pandemic became and gastroenterology from Brigham rubber can tolerate many different modes of clear, he swung into action. Traverso, Karl and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and sterilization including autoclaving, exposure Van Tassel (1925) Career Development Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), to isopropanol chlorine, and even being put Professor, together with his team identified Traverso focused his work on drug delivery in an oven. As a soft material, it also would unmet needs that matched their skillsets. and ingestible robotics, particularly in be comfortable for healthcare workers to They quickly started reaching out to relation to gastroenterology. In addition to wear for long periods of time. The design collaborators to work on several projects being assistant professor of mechanical we landed on included small N95 filters that that would address the most pressing engineering at MIT, he serves as a physician are replaced after each use, while the mask problems facing healthcare professionals at BWH. itself is sterilized and reused. like himself. MechE Connects caught up with Traverso Since the need for masks is so pervasive, “It has been an enormous team effort to discuss several of his team’s Covid-19 we wanted to find a scalable method of across institutions and across the related projects, in addition to his work on manufacturing. The method we landed on boundaries of both academia and industry,” splitting ventilators (see page 16-17). was injection molding, which can make the Traverso reflects. masks quickly and in large quantities. We In July, you published findings on a reusable just completed a multi-site clinical trial to face mask that includes an N95 filter. How test the masks and hope to move forward did you design the mask? with further fabrication amplification. Additionally, together with Dr. Jacqueline Early on, many of my colleagues in the Chu of MGH, we have conducted cost and hospital were having issues getting the environmental impact studies to better appropriate PPE. The question we asked understand and inform the impact of with Dr. James Byrne of BWH, MGH, and different mask usage patterns. MIT, and Adam Wentworth of BWH and MIT, who have been leading these studies, You helped develop a robot to screen was could we develop a system that was potential Covid-19 patients at Brigham and reusable, comfortable, could be sterilized Women’s Hospital within weeks of the virus repeatedly, and could be manufactured spreading in Massachusetts. How did that at scale? There was a lot of fundamental project come together? mechanical engineering at play – from large scale manufacturing to looking at stresses Our team, specifically Dr. Hen-Wei Huang on the masks across a range of face shapes. of MIT and BWH, wanted to see if we could

Assistant Professor Giovanni Traverso support contactless patient evaluation to We needed a material that could interface protect healthcare providers and minimize with different sterilization techniques to the spread of the virus. With the help 23

Using a tablet, healthcare workers can interact with patients remotely thereby reducing their A thermal reference used for risk of exposure to Covid-19. calibrating the temperature reading of the infrared camera.

Various sensors including a combination of three monochrome cameras, an infrared camera for vital sign measurement, and a stereo camera for distance estimation.

Researchers hope to reduce the risk to healthcare workers posed by Covid-19 by using robots like Spot to take patients’ vital signs. Image courtesy of the researchers, edited by MIT News and Wing Ngan. of Dean Anantha Chandrakasan, I was and oxygen saturation. But there is also very quickly during the shutdown with a connected to Dr. Marc Raibert, former a patient acceptability aspect we want to mission to help on multiple fronts including faculty in EECS at MIT, from Boston learn about with respect to patient-robot ventilators, masks, therapeutics and Dynamics within hours. Along with Boston interactions. With Spot, we are trying to robotics. Early on we connected engineers Dynamics, we worked with researchers at understand the acceptability of robots in with the clinical community so we could BWH including Dr. Peter Chai and Dr. Ed the emergency department and whether move relatively quickly, bridge some of Boyer to outfit a robot named Spot with patients are receptive to this mode of the gaps, and work together on these technologies to assess patients when they interaction. challenges. From the beginning it has been first come to the hospital. These included a massive collaborative effort. I think times a range of camera systems and algorithms How have you used your background as of crisis really bring people together from to extract vital signs through contactless both a physician and an engineer to develop very diverse backgrounds to bear on these means to minimize the risk of infection to these solutions? major challenges. healthcare providers, as well as potentially reduce personal protective equipment I’m a practicing physician with relatives usage. and friends serving on the front lines, so Covid-19 certainly hit close to home. Our team is still developing the whole Additionally, many on our team are range of camera systems to facilitate vital healthcare providers as well as having close sign sensing so the robot can gather data ties to local and international hospitals. on temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, Our team rallied around several challenges 24

News & Awards

Departmental News Excellence Award for Serving the Client in a device made of heart tissue and a robotic • QS World University Rankings honored recognition of over 45 years at MIT. Regan pumping system that beats like the real thing. MIT with a number 1 ranking in the subject has been a seminal influence on generations area of Mechanical, Aeronautical and of MechE graduate students. • Professor Kripa Varanasi developed a Manufacturing Engineering for 2020. system for reducing or eliminating foam Research News buildup that hinders many industrial • MIT MechE was ranked number one in • Associate Professor Jeehwan Kim processes. The team, which reported their mechanical engineering graduate programs developed a new process that may be the findings in Advanced Materials Interfaces, and undergraduate programs for 2021 by key to manufacturing flexible electronics with used specially textured mesh that make US News & World Report. multiple functionalities in a cost-effective bubbles collapse as fast as they form. way. The study was published in Nature. • Technical Instructor Steve Banzaert, Senior • A team of researchers at MIT, including Lecturer Barbara Hughey, and Professor • Using a technoeconomic approach, Professor Gang Chen, designed a long- David Wallace have been awarded 2020 researchers including Professor Tonio sought device, which they refer to as an Teaching with Digital Technology Awards. Buonassisi found that thinner silicon wafers “electrical heat valve,” that can vary thermal These student-nominated awards are for could lead to lower solar cell costs and help conductivity on demand. Their findings were faculty and instructors who have used digital speed up industry expansion. Their results published in Nature Materials. technology to improve teaching and learning were published in the journal Energy & for MIT students. Environmental Science. • In a Nature Photonics study, MIT engineers including Associate Professor Mathias Kolle • Leslie Regan, MechE’s Graduate Office • In a Science Robotics study, engineers led by and Professor Peter So have developed a Senior Advisor, was awarded an MIT Assistant Professor Ellen Roche developed simple chip powered by quantum dots that

Leslie Regan (left) poses with graduate student Andrea Lehn at a surprise party celebrating her MIT Excellence Award in the Hart Nautical Gallery. Credit: Tony Pulsone 25

A look at a water monitoring device developed by Professor Rohit Karnik and graduate student Emily Hanhauser, before (left) and after (right) dipping in metal-contaminated water. Credit: Melanie Gonick/MIT

allows standard microscopes to visualize MIT Press: “Fundamentals of Applied • Associate Professor Alberto Rodriguez difficult-to-image biological organisms. Dynamics” and “Wave Propagation – An has been awarded the IEEE 2020 Early Introduction to Engineering Analyses.” Academic Career Award in Robotics and • Researchers including Professor Rohit Automation. Karnik and graduate student Emily • Professor Domitilla del Vecchio has Hanhauser developed a device that absorbs been granted a Newton Award for • Professor Neville Hogan has been trace contaminants in water and preserves Transformative Ideas during the Covid-19 honored by Science Foundation them in a dry state so the samples can Pandemic by the U.S. Department of Ireland with the St. Patrick’s Day Science be mailed easily to a lab for testing. They Defense for her work, “Understanding and Medal Award 2020, given annually to published their results in Environmental Re-engineering Epigenetic Cell Memory: a distinguished scientist, engineer or Science and Technology. A Theory-driven Approach.” technology leader living and working in the U.S. with strong Irish connections. • Researchers including Professor Thomas • Professor Roger Kamm was awarded the Peacock and Professor Pierre Lermusiaux 2020 Shu Chien Achievement Award at the • Professor David Hardt was awarded have developed a technique that they hope Biomedical Engineering Society’s Cellular the 2020 Hideo Hanafusa Outstanding will help first responders quickly zero in on and Molecular Bioengineering Conference Investigator Award at this year’s regions of the sea where missing objects for his contributions to the field of cellular International Symposium on Flexible or people are likely to be. Their study was and molecular bioengineering. Automation. published in Nature Communications. Associate Professor Jeehwan Kim developed a Faculty News new process that may be • Professor Dick K.P. Yue has been elected the key to manufacturing to the National Academy of Engineering flexible electronics with multiple functionalities for contributions to ocean engineering and in a cost-effective way. innovation of OpenCourseWare to make Credit: John Freidah higher education freely available worldwide.

• Professor James H. Williams, Jr. recently published two textbooks through 26

Diane Greene SM ’78

• Assistant Professor Wim van Rees has and Sandra “Sandy” Walter ’20 have been the Healthcare & Science category. been selected by the U.S. Department of awarded 2020 Fulbright Fellowships. Energy for the Office of Science’s Early • Recent doctoral graduate Beckett Colson Career Research Program for his work • Recent graduate Ali Daher ’20 from was awarded the MIT-WHOI Joint Program on a multiresolution sharp-interface Amman, Jordan, is a recipient of the new Earl Ewing Hays Award in recognition of his framework for tightly coupled multiphysics Rhodes Scholarship for the Syria, Jordan, efforts in developing a novel sensor for flow- simulations. Lebanon, and Palestine region. through microplastics detection.

Student News • PhD candidate Elise Strobach and postdoc Alumni News • Lyndie Mitchell Zollinger ’20 was named a Kyle Wilke were named to Forbes 30 Under • Former chair of the MechE Visiting Gates Cambridge Scholar. She will develop 30 in Energy for 2020 for co-founding Committee and alum Diane Greene SM ’78 mechanical models of the progression AeroShield, which manufactures a super- has been named the first woman to chair the of traumatic brain injuries at Cambridge insulating, porous glass for energy efficient MIT Corporation. University. windows. • Bose has announced that Lila Snyder SM • Recent graduates Max Kessler ’20, • MechE grad student Xinyue Liu has been ’96, PhD ’98 will be its first female CEO. Booker Schelhaas ’20, Srimayi Tenali ’20, named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2020 in • This year’s National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees include MechE alumni Mick Mountz ’87 and Peter Wurman ’87, co- inventors of the Kiva system – a revolutionary warehouse order fulfillment system that uses mobile robots and control software to bring inventory shelves to workers.

• The Whitehead Institute has announced that Brit Jepson d’Arbeloff SM ’61 – a pioneering engineer, advocate for women in science, and philanthropic leader – has made a $10 million gift to support research uncovering the biological consequences of the sex chromosomes on women’s health and disease. Professor Dick K.P. Yue was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Credit: John Freidah 27

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Asegun Henry Katey Stewart Dawn Wendell Daniel Oropeza Daniel Diaz

Fiona Grant Vishnu Jayaprakash Stacy Godfreey-Igwe Cullen Buie Yadira Rivera

MechE DEI Task Force

MIT MechE has made a commitment to • The MechE DEI Task Force is composed • MIT MechE is in the process of hiring take actions that eliminate racism in our of faculty, staff, students who have been a Departmental Community and Equity community. Over the past few months, asked to define our community values Officer. They will be responsible for we have taken steps to foster an inclusive and develop a 5-year action plan to hold designing and implementing outreach community that celebrates diversity us accountable and ensure we are making activities to help attract a diverse population and rejects discrimination in any form. progress. Task Force members include: of students, faculty, and staff, in addition The following are some of those actions: to developing tools, resources, and a range • Cullen Buie – Faculty of solutions that enhance diversity and • Associate Professor Asegun Henry SM • Daniel Diaz – Undergraduate Student inclusion within the department. ’06, PhD ’09 was named Faculty Diversity • Stacy Godfreey-Igwe – Undergraduate Chair for the department. As Faculty Student • In November, MechE will host the first Diversity Chair, Professor Henry will also • Fiona Grant – Graduate Student ever Futures in Mechanical Engineering lead the MechE Diversity, Equity, and • Asegun Henry – Faculty (Chair) Workshop to support and encourage Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. • Vishnu Jayaprakash – Graduate undergraduate women interested in Student pursuing an advanced degree in mechanical • Daniel Oropeza – Graduate Student engineering. • Yadira Rivera – Staff • Katey Stewart – Staff • Dawn Wendell – Senior Lecturer NON-PROFIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Mechanical Engineering ORG. 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 3-173 U.S. POSTAGE Cambridge, MA 02139 PAID Cambridge, MA Permit No. 54016

Thank you MIT MechE! Thank you to our faculty and staff who have been working around the clock to keep us safe and ensure we can still execute our educational and research missions.

Thank you to our students for their patience and understanding in the face of uncertainty.

Thank you to our alumni, for volunteering their time through initiatives like the MechE Alliance to support our community.

Together we are One MIT!