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This week’s issue (No. 16) is now out for distribution on The Tech website (https://thetech.com/issues/146/16/pdf).

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NEWS
• Facilities workers deliver petition to Kornbluth (p. 1, 16)
• U.S. News ranks MIT as #1 national university (p. 1, 2)
• MIT Police Association returns to negotiations (p. 1, 2)
• McDermott Court reopens with new landscaping (p. 3)
• MIT pauses authorization of work-study credit programs for international students (p. 3)
• MIT Mathematics Department announces new Master of Science in Mathematics of Data (p. 4)
• Akirah Bradley-Armstrong appointed vice chancellor for student life, effective Oct. 19 (p. 4)
• Over a thousand students attend HackMIT 2026 (p. 5)
• Faculty address AI use through teaching policies (p. 5)
• Service requested: A look inside MIT’s elevators (p. 6)

WEATHER
• Autumn is setting in (p. 2)

ARTS
• Possessing individuality and community: ‘The Dispossessed’ by Ursula K. Le Guin (p. 7)

SPORTS
• Sports Blitz (p. 8)
• Women’s soccer falls to#1 WashU, drops to 9-2-1 (p. 8)
• A new Legacy begins (p. 9)

SCIENCE
• Lived experience meets MIT research (p. 10)
• Artificial Intimacy’: Sherry Turkle says AI should “stay in its lane” (p. 11)

ENTERTAINMENT
• Crossword: Mass Tech Terms (p. 14)

OPINION
• You too can prevent a bicycle crash (p. 15) by @thetechmit

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9 days ago

NEWS — MIT facilities workers marched to President Sally Kornbluth’s office on Sept. 29 to deliver a petition signed by nearly 1,000 faculty, alumni, staff, and graduate students.

This was the second petition delivered (the first on July 21) and the latest act in over four months of negotiations to obtain contract provisions for health insurance, higher wages, job protections for immigrant workers, and access to union funds. If the latest petition remains unsuccessful, the union will conduct a strike authorization vote on Oct. 27.

Branch 32BJ, District 615, of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) encompasses MIT’s custodians, mechanics, electricians, and other facilities workers. Members have been working without a contract since the prior expired on June 30. In July, 32BJ rejected the administration’s offer of 50-cent hourly raises and a three-year pay freeze for staff earning more than $85,000.

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Scarlet Gitelson ’30 and Jada Ogueh ’29 have the story.
Photo courtesy of Levy Le ’29. by @thetechmit

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9 days ago

NEWS — Since April 6, the MIT Police Association has been in discussions over a new contract with MIT and have been working without a contract since July in accordance with the previous agreement.

MIT proposed a contract with a 0% raise in the first year of the contract with no guarantees of raises in the second and third year of the contract. In comparison, the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area experienced 3.7% inflation over the past year (as of July 2026), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In a press release regarding the offer, the MIT Police Association said that they were disappointed with MIT’s offer, especially as top executives at MIT receive salary increases (16.7% on average) substantially above the increase in cost of living.

“Offering officers a 0% raise while executives receive double-digit increases sends a clear message about whose work MIT values — and whose it does not. The MIT community deserves better,” the association said.

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Anand George ’30 and Jada Ogueh ’29 have the story.
Photo courtesy of Levy Le ’29. by @thetechmit

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9 days ago

NEWS — On Sept. 22, the U.S. News & World Report announced that MIT would claim the top spot of its new 2027 National Universities Ranking, dethroning Princeton, which held the top spot for 15 consecutive years. Last year, the Institute was ranked second.

This year’s ranking shift was partly due to a methodology change from last year. Specifically, the updated rankings use data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard to evaluate the graduate earnings four years post graduation on a new metric called “earnings by major.” MIT had the highest score for this metric, which accounts for 5% of each school’s total score.

Beyond the top overall position in the National University category, MIT was also ranked first for undergraduate research and creative projects, second on the list of most innovative schools, and third on the list of best value schools.

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Hana Sousa ’27 has the story.
Photo courtesy of Daka Ejilemele ’27. by @thetechmit

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9 days ago

NEWS — On Aug. 24, MIT and universities across the country received a broadcast message from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which operates under the Department of Homeland Security. The message warned colleges of an increase in work-study authorization for international students in violation of SEVP’s standards.

In response, MIT has paused new work-study authorizations for international students and is reviewing the validity of current students’ authorizations.

The type of authorization in question is called Curricular Practical Training (CPT), a temporary work authorization allowing international students with F-1 visas to participate in work-study programs for credit.

Students applying for CPT authorization must request approval from their university. If the student is approved, they complete structured work-study programs with organizations that cooperate with their university. In order for a CPT request to be authorized, a program must be “integral” to the field of study.

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Caden Betz ’30 has the story.
Photo courtesy of Caden Betz ’30. by @thetechmit

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9 days ago

This week’s issue (No. 15) is now out for distribution on The Tech website (https://thetech.com/issues/146/15/pdf).

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NEWS
• MIT GSU grapples with unfruitful negotiation (p. 1, 3)
• Transformed MIT Metropolitan Warehouse opens (p. 1)
• MIT AI report hints at Institute’s future (p. 1, 12)
• Extensive renovation of Building 39 begins (p. 2)

WEATHER
• Big nor’easter expected for this weekend (p. 2)

CAMPUS LIFE
• I was a lighthouse keeper this summer (p. 4)

ARTS
• Fall Experience: Prickly, then profound (p. 6)

SPORTS
• Sports Blitz (p. 7)

SCIENCE
• The ultimate guide to Boston bug battling (p. 8)
• The consequences of overrelying on imperfect AI (p. 9)

OPINION
• Free expression is essential to MIT’s mission (p. 11) by @thetechmit

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23 days ago

NEWS — Since April, MIT’s bargaining team and its graduate student union (GSU) have held multiple meetings to negotiate a second collective bargaining agreement, reaching tentative agreement on three of 26 proposed articles. The original contract expired on May 31, leaving around 5,000 graduate research assistants, teaching assistants, and Instructor-Gs working under the terms of the expired agreement.

After months of stagnant bargaining, the GSU launched a pledge on September 9 to strike if necessary. In a press release dated Sept. 11, 2026, the union announced that over 1,000 graduate workers have signed. It is not clear when exactly the GSU is planning to strike, but the last bargaining session in the month is planned for September 25.

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Geoffrey Enwere ’26 and Jada Ogueh ’29 have the story.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Chua (MIT GSU). by @thetechmit

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23 days ago

NEWS — MIT’s Building 39, officially known as the Gordon Stanley Brown Building, is getting an extensive renovation of its facade and interior. It is slated to finish in early 2028.

The project, part of the MIT Quantum Initiative that has secured $25 million in funding from the Massachusetts state government, also involves the installation of two new quantum computers in the building.

The renovation is being led by HGA, the same architecture firm that designed the Lisa T. Su building, which is home to MIT.nano. Construction began the week of Aug. 24.

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Samuel Yuan ’29 has the story.
Photo courtesy of HGA. by @thetechmit

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23 days ago

ARTS — Boston Ballet’s showings for the 2026–2027 season include full-length classical ballets like The Nutcracker, Coppélia, and Cinderella. Every year, Boston Ballet also offers Fall Experience, Winter Experience, and Spring Experience, which are contemporary programs. Classical ballet typically follows structured ballet movements, is set to classical music, and displays elaborate costumes. On the other hand, contemporary ballet may mix in unusual music or even narration, as well as modern or jazz dance styles, allowing for bold, experimental art.

This is the case for Boston Ballet’s Fall Experience, which is running from Sept. 10 through Sept. 20 at Citizens Opera House. The performance begins with an orchestra-only prelude of two movements from Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird, “Infernal Dance” and “Finale,” performed by the Boston Ballet Orchestra, followed by two performed ballets.

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Karie Shen ’27 has the story.
Photo courtesy of Theik Smith/Boston Ballet by @thetechmit

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23 days ago

This week’s issue (No. 14) is now out for distribution on The Tech website (https://thetech.com/issues/146/14/pdf).

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NEWS
• In Memoriam: Thomas Rose, archaeometallurgist (p. 1)
• Dimethylmercury scare closes Building 18 for four days (p. 1, 2)

WEATHER
• Weather to turn cooler as we head into fall (p. 2)

CAMPUS LIFE
• Progressively pursuing more and more painful and tedious crafts (p. 3)

SPORTS
• LA Clippers’ future in jeopardy after NBA finds $28 million no-show deal (p. 6)

SCIENCE
• Endpoints News presents ‘The China biotech debate: Boston’ (p. 7)

OPINION
• Re: MIT’s financial records contradict its claims of austerity (p. 8) by @thetechmit

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a month ago

NEWS — Thomas Rose, an assistant professor of materials science, died on Sept. 2 due to injuries sustained in a bicycle accident. Rose was 37.

Rose was struck by a car on his bicycle at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Massachusetts Avenue around 6 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, just a couple yards from Maseeh Hall. The incident is under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police.

An archaeometallurgist who joined MIT this January, Rose was still setting up his lab. According to his colleagues in the Department of Materials Science, he was looking forward to teaching his first class at MIT, 3.984 (Materials in Ancient Societies I), this fall.

“It’s an archeological materials graduate class. With Thomas coming, we were all excited about him teaching because of his geochemistry background,” said Senior Lecturer Michael Tarkanian ’00 SM ’03, who worked closely with Rose. “We’ve had one of the biggest enrollments in recent memory, partially because people wanted to take the class with Thomas.”

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Jada Ogueh ’29 and Samuel Yuan ’29 have the story.
Photo courtesy of Gretchen Ertl. by @thetechmit

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a month ago

BREAKING NEWS — Around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26, MIT Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS), the Cambridge Fire Department, and Pro EMS responded to a report of dimethylmercury exposure in Building 18, home to the Department of Chemistry. As of the time of publication, the building remains closed for decontamination efforts, but the Institute believes the risk for further exposure is “very low.”

According to the Institute’s official emergency response, a graduate student working in Building 18 “self-reported to a local emergency room and claimed to have synthesized dimethyl mercury.” While the student is still being medically supervised, their initial blood test, received on Aug. 29, “shows no sign of exposure to mercury.”

“Emerging information calls into question whether [dimethylmercury] was in fact synthesized,” the notice adds.

Dimethylmercury is an extremely toxic substance, and exposure to low amounts of it — for instance, through inhalation or skin absorption — is known to be fatal if left untreated.

In an email to the chemistry department, professor and department head Matthew Shoulders wrote, “MIT does not allow the purchase or synthesis of dimethylmercury.”

Click on the link in @thetechmit’s bio to learn more.

Grace Zhang ’28 has the story.
Photo courtesy of Boheng Cao ’28. by @thetechmit

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1

2 months ago