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MIT Volunteer View

September 2007

Dear Volunteers   MIT By the Numbers As Alumni Association President Harbo Jensen PhD '74 says, an MIT spirit encircles the globe. So, just where in the world are MITers? • Number of countries in the world: ~194 • Number of countries in which alumni live: 136 • Number of countries students called home in 2006-07: 110 • Number of countries represented in 2006-07 by only one student: 20 • Longest distance an ALC attendee will travel to campus: 7,953 miles (from Hong Kong) • Longest distance traveled to campus by a member of the Class of 2011: 9,927 miles from Tangerang, Indonesia I meet fellow alumni in many different locales, from events for the Club of Northern California to my frequent international business trips. And whether we are attending a lecture, touring a facility, or discussing cultural differences over dinner, there is something about the way MIT alumni think and talk that is different from other people—but "different" in a nice sense! I leave these encounters appreciating the common bond that so easily develops among MIT alumni and keeps us all psychologically connected to the Institute. Indeed, an MIT spirit encircles the globe, and every time we gather, that spirit generates new communities and strengthens our bond. The Alumni Leadership Conference (ALC) is one such meeting of the minds. As volunteers, we share a particularly deep connection to MIT thanks to our commitment to sustain the vitality of the Institute. ALC allows us to connect with others with like goals and similar ways of thinking about the world. I encourage you to join me on campus Sept. 28-29 for this informative, festive, and engaging event. Beyond ALC, I hope you will seek out the MIT spirit with fellow alumni, whether through club, class, or group events or just meeting a friend for lunch. It's a unique bond we share that can be personally fulfilling and rewarding. Sincerely, Harbo Jensen PhD '74 President, MIT Alumni Association

Spotlight Story Honor Roll Applauds Vision, Commitment of Volunteers Congratulations to the newest members of the Volunteer Honor Roll of Service. Among them is Bill Reenstra '72 (pictured), recognized for his work helping to establish the MIT Teacher Award Program. Other honorees revamped a financial record-keeping system, revitalized groups with engaging events and improved Web sites, extended the reach of the MIT Enterprise Forum, and more. Learn about the honorees.

Featured Volunteer Kim Hunter '86 Kim has been an active volunteer for more than 15 years, serving many roles for her class including president and reunion committee chair and numerous roles for the Club of New Hampshire including president and VP of activities. On the national level, she has been a member of the Alumni Association's Board of Directors, the national selection and Tech Day committees, and the planning committee for the 2005 Women's Leadership Conference. Kim has also served as an educational counselor for more than a decade. Other volunteers praise her inclusive style, her natural mediation and consensus-building skills, and her generosity with her time and ideas, always striving to do what's best for MIT. All of these strengths will serve her well as the director of the Educational Council, a yearlong position she began last month while Stu Schmill '86 serves as interim director of admissions. In 2006, Kim won the Harold E. Lobdell '17 Distinguished Service Award.

Volunteer Initiatives

Meet MIT's Brightest through January Externships

MIT students are eager to participate in alumni-sponsored externships for January's Independent Activities Period. Host a student, reconnect to campus life, and, perhaps, find future employees. Externships range from one month to one week. Opportunities, which have included everything from researching new technologies for a Las Vegas hotel and casino to software development for a start-up to partnering with a senior engineer at NASA, are needed in all fields in a variety of locales. Sign up by October 1, 2007.

ALC Offers Personal, Professional Benefits

Preregistration for the Alumni Leadership Conference closes next week. Sign up now to discover how fellow volunteers translate MIT connections into community service, develop your persuasive communication and negotiation prowess, hear Institute updates from President Hockfield and Alumni Association leadership, and swap insights with fellow volunteers.

Capitalize on Women's Research at MIT, Oct. 17

The Alumnae Leadership Series presents "Spotlight on Women's Research at MIT: Connections, Collaborations, Community," a panel discussion and poster session on Oct. 17. The event will connect the MIT community by highlighting research by women in academia and industry, offering networking, and encouraging potential collaborations for commercialization (think: finding potential $100K team members or ideas).

Find Out What Makes a Great Entrepreneur, Sept. 27

Renowned software industry leader and venture capitalist Ann Winblad offers her insights into successful entrepreneurship in a joint MIT Enterprise Forum/Technology Review global broadcast presented as a talk between Winblad and TR editor in chief Jason Pontin. The event occurs Sept. 27 from 11:25 a.m.–12:25 p.m. EDT during the Emerging Technologies Conference. Join as a live viewing site or participate later with a DVD of the program. Contact EF at mitef@mit.edu or 617-253-0015 for more details.

MIT Alumnae Sought to Mentor Undergraduate Women, Sept. 30

Alumnae are invited to share their experience with MIT undergraduate women as they explore career opportunities and learn networking skills at Women's Professional Day, Sept. 30 from 9:30 a.m.–2:15 p.m. The event coincides with the Alumni Leadership Conference. Contact Katie Casey at kcasey@mit.edu or 617-452-3372 with questions.

Learn about the Power of Small Things

On November 15, MIT faculty will discuss innovative ways they are exploring and harnessing nanotechnology in the first of two global broadcasts sponsored this academic year by the Alumni Association. Sign up to be a viewing site, and receive intellectual content from MIT and network with local alumni.

Putting Priorities in Order

Learn about starting a scholarship fund, the new donor recognition society, and MIT's upcoming funding priorities at the Priorities for Giving session at the Alumni Leadership Conference on Sept. 29. To get a head start, check out the Giving to MIT Web site and see where you might direct your own gift this year.

Talking Points

MIT Tops U.S. News Undergraduate Engineering List

MIT's undergraduate engineering program remained the best in the nation this year according to U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings. The Sloan School of Management's undergraduate business program ranked second best overall. The magazine listed MIT as the seventh-best university in America, down from fourth last year. Rankings are based on factors such as selectivity, faculty resources, and average alumni giving rate, among others. See which specialized disciplines within engineering and management also ranked as the nation's best.

MIT Research Details Parasitic Battles; Work Impacts Evolution

A team including MIT scientists have recorded the entire genomic expression of both a host bacterium and an infecting virus over the eight-hour course of infection. Such systems are believed to play a key evolutionary role by facilitating the transfer of genes between species.

Wharton's Schmittlein Named New MIT Sloan Dean

David C. Schmittlein, formerly of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, will begin his duties October 15. He is known for his research on the impact of a firm's marketing actions, designing market and survey research, and creating effective communication strategies.

MIT's Sesquicentennial Class Enters the 'Tute

MIT President Susan Hockfield welcomed the Class of 2011 by challenging the incoming first-year students to follow Louis Pasteur's lead in making extraordinary discoveries that enrich people's lives. Hockfield also encouraged them to make the world a better place, and many students started off their MIT careers performing community service as part of CityDays, sponsored by the Public Service Center.

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About MIT Volunteer View

Volunteer View, a monthly e-newsletter for MIT volunteers, is available in HTML and text-only formats. To receive the text-only format, please email mitalum@mit.edu.

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