In a letter to The New York Times, Professor Emerita Nancy Hopkins and graduate student Jason Sheltzer write that while there has been “remarkable progress” for female faculty members in STEM, barriers still exist. “Maintaining progress will require sustained effort, while making further progress will require addressing the pitifully small pipeline in many STEM fields,” they write.
Stav Ziv of Newsweek writes about the “Dance your Ph.D.” contest, which challenges Ph.D. students to explain their research through dance. MIT graduate student Hans Rinderknecht, winner of the physics category, submitted video of a live performance at MIT’s Simmons Hall in April, in which dancers depict how light is used to create nuclear fusion.
The Washington Post’s Editorial Board writes about the importance of MIT’s survey examining sexual misconduct. “By undertaking such a detailed fact-finding mission — and publishing the results — MIT has signaled that it is serious about finding solutions, and it offered a model that other institutions would do well to emulate.”
The Tech calls on students to take strong action to combat sexual assault, following the results of a survey examining sexual misconduct at MIT. “To quote President Reif, sexual assault ‘has no place here’,” writes The Tech. “But if the entire effort is to have a chance at success, students cannot opt out of this conversation — and that’s on us.”
New York Times reporter Richard Pérez-Peña writes about how MIT has conducted a “rare, detailed” survey polling undergraduate and graduate students about sexual assault. “A big-name school like M.I.T. being ahead of the curve like this matters,” says advocate Andrea Pino.
WBUR speaks with Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart about the actions MIT is taking following the release of a survey examining sexual misconduct at MIT. “We have a very long history of approaching problems in exactly this way. We measure by getting data and facts, and then we develop our action plan,” says Barnhart.
WGBH examines the survey released by MIT on Monday that polled students about their attitudes and experiences with sexual assault on campus. “The poll is the first of its kind for the MIT community, and it goes beyond the scope of similar studies at other colleges and universities,” Kirk Carapezza and Mallory Noe-Payne report.
Matt Rocheleau of The Boston Globe writes about the results of a climate survey on sexual assault released by MIT Monday. “With its comprehensive survey, MIT became the highest-profile college to put such a specific estimate on the prevalence of sexual violence on campus, amid heightened national attention on the issue,” writes Rocheleau.
Kath Xu of The Tech reports on the new Institute policies and programs designed to combat sexual assault, which were announced following a survey sent to all undergraduate and graduate students at MIT. “We’ve already made a commitment to increase resources so that we can increase education and support,” explains Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart.
Scott Kirsner of BetaBoston highlights Anne Hunter’s jobs list, which has connected MIT students and alumni to potential employers since the 1990s. “The ‘jobs list’ is an MIT institution, a mailing list that any student can ask to get onto,” says alumni Michael McGraw-Herdeg. “Anne is a saint for having set the list up — I am sure it has changed lives.”
Founded by MIT alumnus Sidhant Pai and winner of the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge, Indian startup Protoprint compensates waste pickers in the Indian city of Pune for collecting the raw materials used for 3D-printing filament, writes Dhanya Ann Thoppil for The Wall Street Journal. “The point is to create employment and value add opportunities for the waste pickers,” says Pai.
Boston Globe reporter Jennifer Smith writes about HackMIT, a "code-writing marathon" held at the Institute over the weekend. HackMIT is, “exciting, because it’s one of the biggest hackathons and has a great atmosphere,” says participant Leila Chan Currie.
Christopher Gearon of U.S. News & World Report profiles freshman Emily Young. “An ACL injury led Emily Young to become ‘fascinated’ with biomedical engineering and biomechanics," writes Gearon.
“People need to help each other out, right?” Those are the words of an MIT student whose act of kindness prompted one nearby witness to share the story in a letter to the Boston Globe.
Tech reporter Tushar Kamath writes that officials have announced a period of reflection on the community’s recent losses. “This is our way of saying the community does care and we want to be there for each other and provide support to each other,” says Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart.