Alumni

MIT political scientist and alumna Caitlin Talmadge PhD ‘11 scrutinizes military postures and international dynamics to understand the risks of escalation. “It’s important for me to do scholarship that speaks to real-world problems,” she says.

Economics doctoral student Whitney Zhang ‘21 investigates how technologies and organizational decisions shape labor markets. “Though I’m studying workers, it’s important to consider the entire complex ecosystem when solving for these kinds of challenges, including firm incentives and global economic conditions,” she says.

MIT alumnus, former airman, and Air Force reservist Erik Lin-Greenberg ’09, SM ’09 walks a fine line between military and political theory and practice. “I’ve learned a lot about leadership as a professor, an airman, and as a reservist, and look forward to serving the airmen in my squadron,” he says.

MIT alumna Faith Baca ’25, who studied linguistics, mathematics, and computer science, wants AI to help improve marginalized people’s lives. “AI is a powerful tool that has left underserved communities without representation, and I want to change this,” she says.

Alumnus Willard “Bill” Johnson ’09, ’10, who earned a degree in political science and played basketball at MIT, is a member of the US beach korfball team. A cousin of basketball developed in the Netherlands in the early 1900s, korfball is a mixed-gender sport in which teams compete to throw a ball into a hoop (or korf). “I was deeply influenced by an MIT course on comparative politics, taught by Melissa Nobles, who is now chancellor,” he says.

HASTS alumna Aja Grande attended MIT to explore how nonprofits could combine island knowledge with innovation to foster independence. “I was interested to learn from the people who have held and are restoring long-term relationships with ‘āina,” she says. For her dissertation, she investigated Hawaii’s legacies of colonialism and militarization and learned about ancestral irrigation, fertilization, and harvesting techniques for kalo, a traditional crop whose leaves, stems, and potato-like tubers are rich in nutritional and medicinal value.

MIT alumna Netia McCray ’12 credits her parents, MITES, and MISTI with aiding her in her professional and personal journeys. “I was heavily influenced by my parents, especially my father, whose dream was to open up a school in order to teach what we now consider mechanical engineering or product design development to boys and girls,” she says.

MIT alumnus Jonathan Pasternack ’90, a political science major with a focus on international human rights, is the artistic director and conductor of the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra in rural Washington state. He doesn’t merely conduct: He chooses programs, selects musicians and guest soloists, and manages business operations. As a conductor, however, his favorite place is still “in the middle of the sound, helping things to go along.”

MIT alumna, Chinese minor, and electrical engineering and computer science major Kristen Palmer ’23 is a software engineer at Google and competitive fencer. “Fencing helped me learn to stay in control of my emotions,” she says. “Not to let mistakes or bad calls from the referee affect my focus.”

MIT alumnus Benjamin Gulak, a computer science, economics, and data science major, founded the startup NALA, which directly matches art buyers with artists. “There’s so much talent out there that has never had the opportunity to be seen outside of the artists’ local market,” Gulak says. “We’re opening the art world to all artists, creating a true meritocracy.”