News Archive 2008
School news from 2008.
Major Report on Spaceflight:
New Vision for People in Space
A team led by MIT researchers released on Monday, Dec. 15, the most comprehensive independent review of the future of the nation's human spaceflight program undertaken in many years. The report recommends setting loftier goals for humans in space, focusing research more clearly toward those goals, and increasing cooperation with other nations and private industry. •
"The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes" is performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company
The innovative play, which opened in London, was catalyzed by Janet Sonenberg, Head of Music and Theater Arts, and Diana Henderson, Professor of Literature. The play examines "the time of silence"—the years between 1642 and 1660 in England when Puritan rulers shuttered theaters—which was also a period of intense interest in experimental science. Poster image © Ellie Kurtz, Royal Shakespeare Company •
Paul Krugman, PhD '77, wins Nobel Prize in Economics
Former MIT Professor of Economics, Paul R. Krugman PhD '77 has won the Nobel economics prize for "his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity." •
School's Disciplines Ranked High
MIT ranks ninth among 604 universities from around the world included in the 2008 Times Higher Education-Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings released today. The School's humanities, arts, and social science disciplines also rank high.
Professor of Economics and MacVicar Faculty Fellow Jonathan Gruber is inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Eight MIT faculty members will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) as part of its new class of 190 fellows and 22 foreign honorary members. Photo credit: Jon Sachs •
McGann Salutes Writing Program on Admissions Blog
"Like the writing student, I too found MIT's writing and literature courses to be among the Institute's best-kept secrets. I was surprised to find Pulitzer Prize-winning writers on the faculty. I was surprised to learn that, apparently, MIT has one of the top Victorian literature faculties around. I was surprised to find out that there [is] even a full major at MIT in both writing and literature." •
Paxson wins 2008 Levitan Prize
Heather Paxson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, has been awarded The 2008 Levitan Prize in the Humanities, which honors innovative and creative scholarship by faculty in the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. •
Keeril Makan, Assistant Professor of Music, receives The Rome Prize
MIT professor Keeril Makan, a musician and composer acclaimed for his technique of layering recorded and live sounds, has been awarded the prestigious Luciano Berio Rome Prize for musical composition by the American Academy in Rome for 2008-2009. Photo credit: Jon Sachs •
James Poterba, Head of Economics, to lead National Bureau of Economic Research
James Poterba, Mitsui Professor of Economics and head of the MIT economics department, has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting greater understanding of how the economy works. Photo credit: Jon Sachs •