In 2023, MIT had an eventful year, including the inauguration of President Sally Kornbluth and a Commencement address by Mark Rober, as well as Professor Moungi Bawendi winning a Nobel Prize for research on quantum dots. Researchers were also involved in several scientific breakthroughs, such as a study on a dying star consuming a planet, and various innovations within AI, clean energy, cancer detection and diagnosis, and the science of kindness.
Among the many developments, the work of Steve Hartman with Professor Anette Hosoi stood out. They explored whether a single act of kindness can impact the world. President Kornbluth and her all-female leadership team also made headlines with their plans to boost representation in STEM for women and other underrepresented groups. Moreover, undergraduate Subin Kim shared his experience of transitioning from a community college to MIT through the Transfer Scholars Network initiative.
In the field of AI, MIT hosted “The Day of AI”, a program for K-12 students about AI. Discussions around the future of AI were recurring, with Kornbluth asserting we can’t “pause” AI and Professor Regina Barzilay sharing her work developing AI systems to recognize cancer before human detection is possible. In the realm of engineering excitement, MIT engineers created a 3D-printed replica of the human heart. Meanwhile, climate change remained a key topic, with researchers discovering a new way of creating an energy supercapacitor and investigating methods to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.
Healthcare solutions emerged as well, with MIT aiming to detect diseases like cancer sooner with AI and drug-delivery nanoparticles. Another solution involved a wearable ultrasound device that may detect early-stage breast tumors. Art also made its way into the headlines, with an AI opera from 1987 rebooted for a new generation at MIT. Lastly, in terms of communal developments, MIT’s Juggling Club marked its 50th year, and the newly finished John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center was recognized.
In conclusion, 2023 was a year of significant progress for MIT within a variety of fields, from leadership and student initiatives to scientific research and technological innovations. AI, healthcare, engineering, and climate change were key areas of interest, with discoveries and developments aimed at bettering society and the world.
