MIT has had an eventful year, from President Sally Kornbluth’s inauguration and Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Professor Moungi Bawendi, to headline-making scientific and technological strides. Among the notable instances of 2023, one of the most inspiring highlights was Steve Hartman’s exploration of the science of kindness towards Professor Anette “Peko” Hosoi.
An essential focus was on female leadership in science, with President Kornbluth, Provost Cynthia Barnhart, and Chancellor Melissa Nobles emphasizing increased representation in STEM for women and underrepresented groups. In the sphere of education, the establishment of the Transfer Scholars Network has opened a new pathway for community college students to pursue degrees at MIT, benefiting learners like Subin Kim.
AI was another focal point – President Kornbluth weighed in on the advancement of AI, its future trajectory, and the ethical considerations at play. The report highlighted various approaches to AI at MIT, including the aids in earlier cancer detection, its potential enhancement of job quality, and a call for a balance between developing new technologies and ensuring their beneficial deployment.
MIT’s stimulating research extended to 3D-printed hearts to revolutionize treatments and green energy solutions to address climate change. Its research in water absorption for hotter climates and energy-storing concrete for powering homes has been acknowledged as game-changing for climate change.
The report underscored MIT’s commitment to developing healthcare solutions, from nanoparticles aimed at selectively targeting cancer cells to an AI-discovered antibiotic effective against drug-resistant bacteria and a wearable ultrasound device for early-stage breast cancer detection.
MIT’s creativity and artistry have also been on full display, with AI-infused opera and large art pieces illustrating migration data. Its endeavors into cosmic mysteries, gravitational waves, and uncovering events around supermassive black holes testify to its diverse realms of exploration.
The research institute has been a driving force in fostering community spirit and mentorship, from the launch of the MIT all-Indigenous rocket team at the 2023 First Nations National Rocket Competition to the address by YouTube star and former NASA engineer Mark Rober encouraging graduates to fearlessly face challenges.
Finally, MIT’s contributions to public dialogue have ranged from thoughts on supply chain sustainability and the marketing strategies for women’s sports to wider reflections on universal healthcare and the internet’s unrealized potential. The institute continues to cultivate educational excellence, underscored by the standing ovation for the retiring Professor Gilbert Strang and the innovative program that teaches coding to incarcerated individuals.
