Wired reporter Aarian Marshall highlights how MIT is launching a new undergraduate major that will combine computer science and urban planning. Prof. Eran Ben-Joseph explains that the motivation for the major is studying how, “you make a better connection between the training and computation, and what the implication of the work will be, for communities, for policies.”
Laney Ruckstuhl of The Boston Globe writes about “Calculated Imagination,” the Course 2.007 Willy Wonka-themed robot competition based on “creativity and innovation.” Students are graded on their work leading up to the competition. “You can earn an ‘A’ with a robot that scores zero points but that demonstrates good engineering and design skills,” Prof. Amos Winter explains.
In an article for Science, Vijaysree Venkatraman highlights MIT’s Translational Fellows Program, which helps “postdocs go from being job seekers to job creators.” Founded by Yoel Fink, the program allows students to evaluate business ventures for real-world sustainability.
Washington Post reporter Martin Weil writes about this year’s recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship. Two MIT students were named Rhodes Scholars this year - Mary Clare Beytagh and Matthew Chun. Weil writes that Chun is, “designing the first prosthetic knee intended specifically for use in the developing world.”
Boston Magazine reporter Hayley Glatter spotlights how two MIT seniors - Mary Clare Beytagh and Matthew Chun - were among this year’s winners of the Rhodes Scholarship.
AP reporter Gene Johnson writes about this year’s group of Rhodes Scholars, which includes two MIT students, Mary Clare Beytagh and Matthew Chun. Johnson highlights how Chun, “leads a team designing the first prosthetic knee for use in the developing world.”
Boston.com reporter Erica Yee highlights several Boston-area residents who were named to Forbes’ “30 under 30” list, including MIT postdoctoral associate Yichen Shen, who was honored for his work with nanophotonic breakthroughs, and undergraduate Jenny Xu, who was recognized for her work creating popular mobile games.
Boston Globe reporter Alyssa Meyers spotlights an MIT course that exposes students to what it is like to live with different disabilities. Based off their experience, students develop, “an assistive technology for a client, where the clients are individuals in the community who have proposed project ideas to the class,” explains senior lecturer Julie Greenberg.
UPI reporter Ed Adamczyk writes that MIT was named to the number five spot in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 best college rankings. “Factors for the rankings include graduation and retention rates, surveys of college officials and high school counselors, faculty funding, and selectivity in admissions,” Adamczyk explains.
MIT placed fifth in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 best college rankings, reports CBS This Morning.
WBUR’s Zeninjor Enwemeka reports that MIT has been named one of the top schools in the country for entrepreneurs. Enwemeka notes that, “for undergraduate schools that produce venture-backed entrepreneurs, MIT ranks third with 907 entrepreneurs and $16.1 billion raised.”
Recent MIT graduate Charlie Andrews-Jubelt completed the Los Angeles finals round of NBC’s reality competition series, “American Ninja Warrior.” He will now advance to the next round of the competition, which will be held in Las Vegas.
Boston Globe reporter Steve Annear spotlights how MIT students have transformed the walls of a pedestrian tunnel that runs underneath Ames Street into a giant work of art. Annear notes that, “in true MIT fashion, they rolled out an app that makes some of the work come to life when it’s viewed through a smartphone screen.”
Writing for The Mercury News, Tatiana Sanchez spotlights the story of Alejandro Diaz, a graduate of Christopher High School in Gilroy, California, who plans to attend MIT in the fall. Sanchez notes that Diaz’s plans to attend MIT, “mark an odds-defying achievement for a family of recent immigrants who embody the promises of the American dream.”
Boston Globe reporter Steve Annear writes that a replica “Star Wars” X-wing Starfighter made an appearance in Lobby 7 on Monday. The replica was originally created for the annual 2.007 robot competition, during which students navigate robots that they designed and built themselves through a “Star Wars”-themed course.