JUNE 2023
MIT SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES, ARTS, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
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CONGRATS TO THE CLASS OF 2023!
Clockwise from top left: Kanoe Evile, Gianna Torpey, Matthew Leonard, Steven Qu, Shaida Nishat, and Tristan Shin. Courtesy photos.
MIT BILINGUALS l CLASS OF 2023
Meet 44 of the many graduating seniors who focused deeply on both Liberal Arts and STEM field at MIT. In their own words, these students reflect on the value of their multi-dimensional, dual-competence MIT education - and share their plans for the future!
Story at SHASS News
Isabella Pedraza Pineros
Major: Computer Science and Engineering
Minor: Finance + French
Hometown: Miami, FL
Plans for the future: MIT in the Master's of Engineering Program with the EECS department
"I have loved exploring contemporary French literature in my classes. I’ve learned so much about the French perspective and niche cultural references – something I hadn’t been exposed to before. I also love French music, which makes sense since French Pop Music is one of my favorite classes!"
Anjali Chadha
Majors: Biological Engineering + Literature
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Plans for the future: Starting as a Laboratory Research Scientist at the Francis Crick Institute in London in August
"My other major is Biological Engineering, and communication of scientific innovation is paramount in today’s world. Being a Literature student has helped me read, write, and talk about my work in an accessible and productive manner. I feel that Literature is fundamentally the study of people and what we think and feel; therefore, I now think more about how my scientific work impacts real people in a tangible way."
Javier A. Vilá Ortiz
Major: Biology
Minor: Economics
Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Plans for the future: Master’s in biomedical engineering from MIT before applying to medical school
"I hope to be an advocate for and help advance the quality of life for the people of Puerto Rico. I see the current socio-economic and political climate on the island as an opportunity for me to give back through a career in medicine and public service that combines clinical work and research with efforts to reform public health policy."
ADVANCED DEGREE CEREMONY l CLASS OF 2023
Photo by Jon Sachs
SHASS ADVANCED DEGREES l CLASS OF 2023
Friends, family, and mentors were on hand for a ceremony to honor the 2023 graduates of master's and doctoral programs in the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
Photo gallery at SHASS News | Watch the ceremony
RECENT WORKS AND RESEARCH
An AI challenge only humans can solve
In their new book, "Power and Progress," Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson ask whether the benefits of AI will be shared widely or feed inequality.
Story at MIT News
Architectural heritage like you haven't seen it before
“Ways of Seeing” project documents endangered Afghan heritage sites through digital imaging, virtual reality, and hand-drawn professional renderings.
Story at MIT News
Civil discourse project to launch at MIT
Through a speaker series and activities in the Concourse learning community, the project's leaders aim to promote the value of open discussion on campus.
Story at MIT News
Governing for our descendants
In a recent essay, Professor Lily Tsai shares ideas on how to include future generations, who will face the climate crisis we’ve created, in our definition of our collective society.
Story at MIT News
Government's invisible hand in developing countries
Political scientist Noah Nathan’s new book, “The Scarce State,” explores the deep impact government can have even when it is seemingly absent.
Story at MIT News
IN THE CLASSROOM
Photo by Allegra Boverman
LITERATURE
Finding the Heat
In Reading Poetry: Social Poetics, Poet Joshua Bennett invites MIT students to gather around Black American poetry.
Story at SHASS News
Photo by Jon Sachs
ANTHROPOLOGY
Exploring the unexpected social questions behind everyday medical objects
An anthropology course taught by Amy Moran-Thomas encourages students to envision more equitable device design.
Story at SHASS News
AWARDS/HONORS
Photo by Jon Sachs
2023 Infinite Mile Awards
Five SHASS staff members recognized for their contributions to the MIT community.
Story at SHASS News
Six MIT SHASS educators receive 2023 Levitan Teaching Awards
The awards honor outstanding success in teaching undergraduate and graduate students.
Story at MIT News
Joshua Angrist elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2023
Angrist is the Ford Professor of Economics and co-founder and director of MIT's Blueprint Labs.
Story at MIT News
Thirteen from MIT win 2023 Fulbright fellowships
The Fulbright US Student Program funds opportunities for research, graduate study, and teaching abroad. Several of this year's recipients studied in SHASS fields.
Story at MIT News
Suzanne Freeman and Mariel Garcia-Montes receive Jeanne Guillemin Prize
Awarded by the Center for International Studies, the prize supports women pursuing doctorates in the field of international affairs.
Story at CIS
MIT junior Anushree Chaudhuri named 2023 Udall Scholar
Chaudhuri studies urban studies and planning as well as economics at MIT. She plans to work across the public and private sectors to drive structural changes that connect the climate crisis to local issues and inequities.
Story at MIT News
LISTEN
MIT News/Gretchen Ertl
Curiosity Unbounded: Bureaucracies, dictatorships, and the power of Africa's people
MIT President Sally Kornbluth talks with Associate Professor Mai Hassan about public administration in Africa and how people mobilize against repressive regimes.
Story at MIT News | Listen to the episode
Poetechnics: A podcast at the intersection of poetic and technical knowledge
Hosted by MIT Literature Lectuter Michael Lutz, Poetechnics offers perspectives on the benefits of literary and humanistic study combined with scientific and technical pursuits, and what closer integration of these approaches to learning might look like in the future.
Story at MIT News | Listen to the latest episode
GLOBAL IMPACT
Meredith Arterburn, MIT biology major and finance minor, spent the summer of 2022 interning at Twelve Bio, a biotech startup based in the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo by Lillie Paquette.
New MIT-Denmark collaboration to expand opportunities for global impact
A grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation will allow more MIT interns to connect with innovators in Denmark.
Story at MIT News
Q&A: How studying Portuguese helps to look at life through a different lens
Aeronautics and astronautics major Theo St. Francis describes his studies of Portuguese and travels to Brazil.
Story at MIT News
A transformative era ends at the Center for International Studies
Richard J. Samuels steps down as director; Evan Lieberman is named his successor.
Story at MIT News
IN THE MEDIA
iStock
THE NEW YORK TIMES
A.I.'s Threat to Jobs Prompts Question of Who Protects Workers
Institute Professor Daron Acemoglu and Sloan School of Management Professor Simon Johnson weigh in on this piece discussing government regulation.
Story at The New York Times
THE ATLANTIC
China Could Soon Be The Dominant Military Power in Asia
Eric Heginbotham, principal research scientist at MIT’s Center for International Studies, says “the bottom line is that we are engaged in a near peer or peer competition" in missile systems.
Story at The Atlantic
THE NEW YORK TIMES
U.S. Show at Venice Architecture Biennale Explores Peace with Plastic
Architect and MIT professor Xavi Laida Aguirre's immersive environment made from plastic-derived products suggest how it can be dismantled and repurposed for another use.
Story at The New York Times
POLITICO
Voter Confidence Ticks Up in 2022 - But Deep Partisan Divides Remain
New research from the MIT Election Data + Science Lab indicates 69 percent of registered voters said they were either very or somewhat confident that votes at a nationwide level were counted as intended.
Story at POLITICO
Published by SHASS Communications
Office of the Dean, MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
June 7, 2023
Michael Brindley, Director of Communications
Stephen Oakes, Media Relations Manager