News Archive 2022
School news from 2022.
SHASS announces four Research Fund recipients for 2023
The SHASS Research Fund supports MIT research in the humanities, arts, or social sciences that shows promise of making an important contribution to the proposed area of activity.
Professor Emeritus Richard “Dick” Eckaus, who specialized in development economics, dies at 96
Deeply respected advisor, educator, and mentor was a founding member of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change and committed to helping others rise out of poverty.
Michel DeGraff named Fellow of the Linguistics Society of America
Selection as LSA Fellow marks the highest honor in the field of linguistics
Spider Swing: A Video Animation
MIT UROP team adapts the first movement of acclaimed MIT composer Elena Ruehr’s Eighth String Quartet.
Honoring SHASS faculty service on Institute committees
Each year, many members of the MIT SHASS faculty give generously of their time to serve on Institute-level committees that play key roles in guiding MIT as a whole. Please join us in celebrating their remarkable dedication.
CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 5-7
Community is invited to the "Bearing Witness/Seeking Justice Conference: Videography in the Hands of the People"
“We’re encouraging people in the Greater Boston area to attend, including young people, concerned citizens, community-based organizations — everyone who cares about democracy, media, justice, and truth-telling."
HONORS AND AWARDS
82 MIT Class of 2022 students inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Society
A remarkable cohort of graduating seniors in the MIT Class of 2022 were honored for excellence in the liberal arts. Professor of History Elizabeth Wood gives the PBK address, titled: "Love of wisdom is the helmsman of life.”
COMMENCEMENT 2022
MIT SHASS Advanced Degree Ceremony
Thursday, May 26, 1pm. Join us via Livestream to celebrate the 2022 MIT SHASS Masters and Doctoral graduates!
SALUTE TO SENIORS, CLASS OF 2022
Profiles | Meet the MIT Bilinguals
Meet 38 of the many graduating seniors who focused deeply on both the Liberal Arts and STEM fields at MIT. In their own words, these "bilingual" students reflect on the value of their multi-dimensional, dual-competence MIT education — and their visions for the future!
MUSIC AT MIT | INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES
Symphony No.4 by Charles Shadle | Composer's Commentary
Program notes and composer's commentary for the world premiere of Shadle's Symphony No.4
MEET THE MIT BILINGUALS
Approaching human cognition from many angles
Senior Keith Murray combines his interests in neuroscience, computation, and philosophy to better understand human behavior.
NEW RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
New Shapiro Graduate Fellowship supports research on the History of the African-American Experience of Technology
HASTS PhD student Kelcey Gibbons is the inaugural recipient.
SOLVING CLIMATE
Given what we know, how do we live now?
MIT's Council for the Uncertain Human Future
The Council for the Uncertain Human Future convenes small circle groups to reckon with the climate crisis in solidarity. Sponsored jointly by MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, the Dean's Office of MIT SHASS, and the Council leadership, the ongoing program is part of Fast Forward: MIT's Climate Action Plan for the Decade.
TRIBUTES + THE FUTURE
Linguistics luminaries Chomsky and Halle honored
A Stata Center wing celebrates their achievements— and the next generation of linguistics research at MIT.
IN MEMORIAM
Influential scholar Leo Marx dies, at 102
Internationally respected and beloved, Leo Marx created a new lens for American history studies — and was a leader in bringing the humanities into a central academic role at MIT.
AWARDS
Amy Moran-Thomas receives the Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award
Anthropologist recognized for interdisciplinary work on health, climate, and equity
INSIDE THE MIT SHASS CLASSROOM
Stories and profiles
100% of MIT undergraduates study the humanities, arts, and social sciences — and our graduate students earn masters and doctoral degrees in seven world-class fields. MIT excellence, innovation, and multi-disciplinary initiatives makes all these studies and classroom experiences like no other. Explore a selection of class stories and student profiles.
POINTS OF VIEW | ON CULTURE
Culture is a meaning-making practice
Heather Paxson, Wm. Kenan Jr. Professor of Anthropology
"Anthropologists originated the modern understanding of 'culture,' as describing a shared field of beliefs, values, and habituated ways of behaving that give meaning to daily life. What does anthropology have to say about “MIT culture”?
IN THE CLASSROOM | ON CULTURE
History Lab: 21H.S04
History class led by Associate Professor Sana Aiyar delves into South Asian experience at MIT via oral histories and the Institute Archives / Distinctive Collections
POINTS OF VIEW | ON CULTURE
Forthcoming commentaries for the series
Perspectives from members of the MIT SHASS Community.
SOLVING CLIMATE
Expanding imagination for a livable future
A conversation with MIT anthropologist Bettina Stoetzer about shaping a livable future, her new book, and her MIT class on "Gender, Race, and Environmental Justice."
BASIC RESEARCH | LITERATURE
A Portal to Another World: Arthur Bahr and the 14th Century Pearl-Manuscript
"Pearl is my favorite poem in the world,” says Bahr, a professor of literature at MIT. “Its form is simply exquisite, and the story itself is bittersweet.” He adds that "the Pearl-Manuscript as a whole serves as “a useful reminder that seriousness of moral and theological purpose can coexist with vivacity and verve and fun."
MIT PERFORMING ARTS
Turning emotion into sound
In "Requiem," composer Elena Ruehr honors both personal and global losses. Of the Mozart and Brahms requiems that she treasures, Ruehr says: "To me these great works of art are noble because they express the sorrow of loss but also celebrate the beauty of life."
INNOVATION | DIGITAL HUMANITIES
The Sound of a Sunset
The MIT Digital Humanities Lab unveils its Sonification Toolkit. Created by MIT students in the Digital Humanities Lab, the Toolkit is a set of digital tools that enable conversion of almost anything — from data to drawings — into sound that is aesthetically satisfying and analytically illuminating.
WORK OF THE FUTURE
MIT Economics receives Hewlett Foundation grant to study job quality
Shaping the Future of Work Program will advance research agenda and increase multi-disciplinary cooperation: The program "will analyze forces contributing to the erosion of job quality and labor market opportunity for workers without college degrees...and consider institutional, technological, and policy innovations that can change this trajectory."
COMMENCEMENT 2022
MIT SHASS Advanced Degree Ceremony
Graduates of all master’s and doctoral programs through the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (MIT SHASS) will be recognized during an in-person, school-specific ceremony taking place on Thursday, May 26, 2022. Guests—up to 4 per graduate—will be welcomed at these celebrations and hoods will be presented to doctoral candidates.
21st CENTURY DEMOCRACY
Better democracy through technology
Can machines make us better citizens and conversationalists? Deb Roy thinks so.
MEET THE MIT BILINGUALS
Max Williamson '22 | Computer Science + Political Science
Max Williamson '22 uses his background in computer science to tackle public policy issues in his home state and on a global scale.
MEET THE MIT BILINGUALS
Adedolapo "Dolapo" Adedokun '22 | EECS + Music
EECS student, Mitchell Scholar, and musician aims to use tech to democratize access to creativity and the arts.
MEET THE MIT BILINGUALS
David Darrow '22 | Languages + Math
Darrow's languages (to-date) are German, French, Spanish — and Math, which he sees as "the language that the universe operates within." And by learning several human languages Darrow says he can connect to more experts — in math and many other topics.
STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY
A Sampler of MIT Research on U.S. Democracy
A distilled selection of key research, news, and media commentaries from the past year on the state of U.S. democracy, from scholars in MIT's humanities and social science fields. What can leaders and We, the People do to sustain our democracy? Prepared for 6 January 2022.
STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY
Lessons Learned in the 2020 Election
A Report for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission; prepared jointly by the non-partisan MIT Election Data & Science Lab and the American Enterprise Institute