Section 1 Facts and History Fields of Study 11 Research Laboratories, Centers, and Programs 12 Digital Learning 13 Academic and Research Affiliations 14 Education Highlights 16 Research Highlights 21 Faculty and Staff 31 Faculty 31 Researchers 33 Postdoctoral Scholars 34 Awards and Honors of Current Faculty and Staff 35 MIT Briefing Book 9 MIT’s commitment to innovation has led to a host of Facts and History scientific breakthroughs and technological advances. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of Achievements by the Institute’s faculty and gradu- the world’s preeminent research universities, dedi- ates include the first chemical synthesis of penicillin cated to advancing knowledge and educating students and vitamin A, the development of inertial guidance in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship systems, modern technologies for artificial limbs, that will best serve the nation and the world. It is and the magnetic core memory that enabled the known for rigorous academic programs, cutting-edge development of digital computers. Today MIT is research, a diverse campus community, and its long- making a better world by focusing its strengths in standing commitment to working with the public and research, innovation, and education in such areas as: private sectors to bring new knowledge to bear on the the secrets of the brain and mind and the origins and world’s great challenges. evolution of life; practical solutions for environmental sustainability, clean energy, and water and food William Barton Rogers, the Institute’s founding presi- security; the convergence of disciplines in tackling dent, believed that education should be both broad human health challenges, from disease prevention and useful, enabling students to participate in “the to personalized medicine to affordable health care; humane culture of the community” and to discover improved innovation and entrepreneurship systems and apply knowledge for the benefit of society. His that speed ideas to impact; and pedagogical innova- emphasis on “learning by doing,” on combining tion on campus and online thanks to new avenues in liberal and professional education, and on the value the science of learning and cutting-edge digital tools. of useful knowledge continues to be at the heart of MIT’s educational mission. University research is one of the mainsprings of growth in an economy that is increasingly defined by technology. A study released by MIT in December 2015 estimated that MIT graduates had founded at least 30,000 active companies. These firms employed approximately 4.6 million people, and generated annual world sales of $1.9 trillion, or the equivalent of the tenth-largest economy in the world in 2014. MIT has forged educational and research collabora- tions with universities, governments, and companies throughout the world, and draws its faculty and students from every corner of the globe. The result is a vigorous mix of people, ideas, and programs dedicated to enhancing the world’s well-being. MIT's founder, William Barton Rogers, 1879 Courtesy MIT Museum 10 MIT Briefing Book Facts and History Fields of Study Sloan School of Management Management MIT supports a large variety of fields of study, from science and engineering to the arts. MIT’s five School of Science academic schools are organized into departments Biology and other degree-granting programs. In addition, Brain and Cognitive Sciences several programs, laboratories, and centers cross Chemistry traditional boundaries and encourage creative Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences thought and research. Mathematics Physics School of Architecture and Planning Architecture Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Programs Media Arts and Sciences Computer Science and Molecular Biology Urban Studies and Planning Humanities Center for Real Estate Humanities and Engineering Humanities and Science School of Engineering Aeronautics and Astronautics Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs Biological Engineering Computation for Design and Optimization Chemical Engineering Computational and Systems Biology Civil and Environmental Engineering Computational Science and Engineering Data, Systems, and Society Computer Science and Molecular Biology Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Design and Management (Integrated Design and Materials Science and Engineering Management & System Design and Management) Mechanical Engineering Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Nuclear Science and Engineering Technology Program Joint Program with Woods Hole School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Oceanographic Institution Anthropology Leaders for Global Operations Comparative Media Studies/Writing Microbiology Economics Operations Research Global Studies and Languages Polymers and Soft Matter History Social and Engineering Systems Linguistics and Philosophy Supply Chain Management Literature Technology and Policy Music and Theatre Arts Transportation Political Science Science, Technology, and Society MIT Briefing Book 11 Research Laboratories, Centers, Laboratory for Financial Engineering Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems and Programs Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity In addition to teaching and conducting research Laboratory for Nuclear Science within their departments, faculty, students, and staff Legatum Center for Development work in laboratories, centers, and programs. and Entrepreneurship Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship Some of these include: Materials Processing Center McGovern Institute for Brain Research Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Media Lab Center for Archaeological Materials Microsystems Technology Laboratories Center for Collective Intelligence MIT Center for Art, Science, and Technology Center for Computational Engineering MIT Energy Initiative Center for Computational Research in Economics MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative and Management Science MIT Innovation Initiative Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics Center for Environmental Health Sciences and Space Research Center for Global Change Science MIT Professional Education Center for International Studies MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology Center for Materials Science and Engineering MIT Sea Grant Center for Transportation and Logistics Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Clinical Research Center Operations Research Center Computer Science and Artificial Picower Institute for Learning and Memory Intelligence Laboratory Plasma Science and Fusion Center Concrete Sustainability Hub Research Laboratory of Electronics Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation Simons Center for the Social Brain Division of Comparative Medicine Sociotechnical Systems Research Center Haystack Observatory Transportation@MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy Women’s and Gender Studies Program Institute for Medical Engineering and Science Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies http://web.mit.edu/research/ Institute for Work and Employment Research Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change Knight Science Journalism Program Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research 12 MIT Briefing Book Facts and History Digital Learning Initiative is a cross-disciplinary, Institute-wide effort that will foster rigorous, quantitative Since the advent of digital computing, MIT has been research on how people learn, investigate what at the forefront of innovation in educational tech- methods and approaches to education work nology. Individual faculty initiatives, departmental best for different people and subjects; and im- projects, or Institute-wide programs have helped prove learning and teaching from K-12 through transform education at MIT and around the world. In college through continuing education. the last few years, technology-enabled change in how we teach and learn has been accelerating. Remarkable In 2012 MIT established the Office of Digital Learning educational experiments throughout higher education (ODL). The mission of ODL is to transform teaching are resulting in unprecedented breakthroughs: and learning at MIT and around the globe through the innovative use of digital technologies. ODL focuses on the following strategic priorities: • New pedagogies and tools. Digital technologies enable students to do more outside the class: 1. Residential Education. Collaborate with consume lecture content, get rapid feedback, faculty to instigate, test, and institutionalize and access adaptive hints to foster learning. This pedagogical models that enhance MIT’s unique means that class time can focus on discussion, brand of education through digital and learning hands-on experiments and other forms of active technologies and practices. learning. Technologies, such as the Residen- 2. Open Education. Enable global access to MIT via tial MITx platform, provide flexibility in course MITx MOOCs on edX and course materials and delivery, enabling students to access content other teaching/learning resources through MIT anytime, anywhere. New tools such as inter- OpenCourseWare. net labs, gaming, and other resources provide adaptive learning aids that present educational 3. Strategic Education Initiatives. Undertake open materials according to students’ varying needs education experiments and implementation and learning styles. driven by MIT’s strategic priorities. • Scalable and open teaching. The open educa- 4. Professional Education. Support and enhance tion movement, pioneered in large part by MIT’s MIT’s capacity to serve businesses, executives OpenCourseWare project—and