SHASS News

MIT Provost Cynthia Barnhart has announced that Vice Provost for the Arts Philip S. Khoury will step down from the position on Aug. 31. Khoury, the Ford International Professor of History, served in the role for 19 years. After a sabbatical, he will rejoin the faculty in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences […]

As the saying goes, time is money. That’s certainly evident in the transportation sector, where people will pay more for direct flights, express trains, and other ways to get somewhere quickly. Still, it is difficult to measure precisely how much people value their time. Now, a paper co-authored by an MIT economist uses ride-sharing data […]

Caring well for the elderly is a familiar challenge. Some elderly people need close medical attention in facilities; others struggle with reduced capabilities while not wanting to leave their homes. For families, finding good care is hard and expensive, and already-burdened family members often pick up the slack. The problem is expanding as birthrates drop […]

“These educators are some of the finest instructors at MIT,” says SHASS Dean Agustín Rayo

For policymakers investigating the effective transition of an economy from agriculture to manufacturing and services, there are complex economic, institutional, and practical considerations. “Are certain regions trapped in an under-industrialization state?” asks Tishara Garg, an economics doctoral student at MIT. “If so, can government policy help them escape this trap and transition to an economy […]