Amy Marcott

The Media Lab Talks with Visionaries

by Amy Marcott on February 23, 2012

Click the image to view the video on the Media Lab site.

The new series Media Lab Conversations will host visionaries who work at the intersection of technology, art, and enterprise. Earlier this week, the program featured Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, who is also the director of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics at Harvard University.

Lessig spoke on “One Way Forward: The Outsider’s Guide to Fixing a Republic.” Lessig’s current academic work addresses the question of institutional corruption in a number of contexts. Click the image to view the video, which was posted the day after the event.

Next up in the series is Wadah Khanfar, president of the Sharq Forum, an international think tank focused on political and economic development in the Arab world, and former director general of the Al Jazeera network. His talk is entitled “One Year After Mubarak: The Past and Future of the ‘Arab Spring.’” Khanfar’s talk will be followed by a dialogue with Joi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab; Ethan Zuckerman, director of MIT’s Center for Civic Media; and Mohamed Nanabhay, head of online at Al Jazeera English, as well as questions and answers with the audience.

Find this and other upcoming Media Lab events.

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IAP Externships: NASA Experience Packs a Wallop

by Amy Marcott on February 21, 2012

in Alumni Life,Engineering,IAP,Student Life

Thanks to Tupper Hyde ’88, PhD ’96 for sending along these photos.

MIT IAP externs Brandon Le '15 (above) and Paul Lazarescu '13 checking out NASA's P-3B research aircraft based at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility as part of their project to figure out how to install a microwave Earth sensing instrument in Wallops aircraft. Their externship was during January 2012 with mentor Edward Kim '86, SM '89, EE '90 at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

MIT IAP externs Brandon Le ’15 (above) and Paul Lazarescu ’13 checking out NASA’s P-3B research aircraft based at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility as part of their project to figure out how to install a microwave Earth sensing instrument in Wallops aircraft. Their externship was during January 2012 with mentor Edward Kim ’86, SM ’89, EE ’90 at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Below: IAP Externs Timothy Joubert ’13, Lisa Johnson ’12, Paul Lazarescu ’13, Brandon Le ’15, Toks Fifo ’14, Nnaemeka Opara ’12, Ryan Lacey ’14, and Gholson Glass ’14 (not pictured) are joined by several decades of MIT Alumni at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland on January 25, 2012, at a pizza lunch and Toast to IAP celebration.

IAP Externs Timothy Joubert '13, Lisa Johnson, Paul Lazarescu '13, Brandon Le '15, Toks Fifo '14, Nnaemeka Opara '12, Ryan Lacey '14, and Gholson Glass '14 (not pictured) are joined by several decades of MIT Alumni at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland on January 25, 2012, at a pizza lunch and Toast to IAP celebration.

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Photo of the Week by Owen Franken ’68—Feb. 18, 2012

by Amy Marcott on February 18, 2012

in Franken Photo of the Week

Fishing net drying outside, Praia de Ancora, Portugal (© Owen Franken/CORBIS).

Curious about Owen Franken? View more of his work via the Franken Photo of the Week category, learn more in this profile, read a What Matters opinion column he wrote called “Life in Brownian Motion,” or visit his website.

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IAP Externships: Learning What it Takes to Run a Transit Authority

by Amy Marcott on February 16, 2012

in IAP,Student Life,Transportation

This is part of a series of posts from MIT students and alumni who were involved in the 2012 Student/Alumni Externship Program, which connected current students to alumni in workplaces worldwide during MIT ‘s Independent Activities Period. Alumni, learn how to get involved.

Guest bloggers: Moji Jimoh ’12 and Christine Sowa ’14
Host: Mark Magnussen SM ’67

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (or WMATA for short) prides itself on being “The Best Ride in America.” They are the organization responsible for the DC metropolitan transit system, which includes MetroRail, MetroBus, and MetroAccess (service for the people with disabilities). We have spent the past three weeks externing in Cheverly, Maryland, working with the Program Bus One Projects Office (PRGM), which handles the repair and maintenance of bus facilities. There are 11 facilities under their authority, located within and around the city. The PRGM handles numerous (over 70!) construction contracts to fix broken systems, upgrade personnel areas in facilities, install new systems, and more at the various sites. However, the most important fact about their work is that no facility is shut down while these projects are undertaken. And these are only the bus projects. A lot of diverse work goes into making the best ride in America.

Moji Jimoh '12 (left) and Christine Sowa '14 at their externship at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

This program is managed by Roy Noyes, who was originally a nuclear engineer like our sponsor, Mark Magnussen SM ’67. The program has three different types of people: construction engineers, construction inspection facilitators, and inspectors. The construction engineers are assigned to a couple of facilities based essentially on geographical location and number of projects; however, there is some overlap as this system is in the process of changing. The construction engineers (CE) are in charge of identifying and writing up proposals of work that a facility may need and verifying that the construction designs, work plans, etc. that contractors have submitted are addressing the problems that were identified. Construction inspection facilitators (CIF) are also assigned to several work sites. The CIF’s job is to work with construction contractors to develop a construction schedule and with WMATA offices to get appropriate forms reviewed and approved for the scheduled work. Inspectors are assigned to a specific site and keep track of all the details of the construction projects there.

So what do we externs do? Well I’ve (Moji) attended preconstruction meetings for new projects, weekly safety meetings for projects in Maryland, Virginia, or DC, and construction site walk throughs. I’ve also helped to prepare estimates for new project proposals and worked with contractors to get more information for WMATA. While we’re based just outside DC, we travel with the CIFs and CEs to sites, driving rather than using the system because we may have a meeting in Virginia followed by a meeting in northern DC. Mostly we’ve gotten a glimpse of the work that’s done because there’s so much going on and some of it started long before we arrived or perhaps will start long after we leave, but it’s been a great four weeks interacting with the staff of the PRGM at WMATA. (I think WMATA loves acronyms more than MIT does!)

Every day is a new adventure at WMATA—so far, I’ve (Christine) been to three different bus facilities. Upon arrival, I tour the buildings and then sit in on preconstruction meetings for different projects. What shocks me the most is the seemingly mundane issues that come up in these meetings that are vital to the project. Things like the types of vests the construction workers wear wouldn’t even cross my mind, but to the federal government, they are extremely important.

So much work goes into a single project—from estimates and transmittals to safety meetings and federal funding. Externing at WMATA has given me a glimpse into the world of public transportation in one of the biggest cities in America.

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IAP Externships: Shadowing (Medical) Dr. J

by Amy Marcott on February 15, 2012

in Health,IAP,Student Life

This is part of a series of posts from MIT students and alumni who were involved in the 2012 Student/Alumni Externship Program, which connects current students to alumni in workplaces worldwide during MIT’s Independent Activities Period. Alumni, learn how to get involved.

Guest blogger: Priyanka Saha ’14
Host: Dr. Ofer Jacobowitz ’88

Dr. Jacobowitz and Priyanka dressed for surgery in the OR.

Dr. Jacobowitz & Priyanka dressed for surgery in the OR.

It’s been a month of firsts. First time in New York. First time riding past the concrete giants of Manhattan and seeing the bright lights of Times Square. First time shadowing a doctor in a private practice. First time observing surgical procedures in the OR. As with any firsts, these last few weeks have been an incredible journey of new learning and even some self-discovery.

I spent my externship shadowing Dr. Ofer Jacobowitz at Hudson Valley Ear, Nose, & Throat (HVENT) in Middletown, New York. Dr. Jacobowitz is an otolaryngologist (ENT doctor) and sees patients for health issues ranging anywhere from allergies and sinus trouble to head and neck cancers. One day a week, he performs surgeries in the OR. Dr. J also specializes in sleep medicine, seeing patients for problems such as obstructive sleep apnea, and he is associate director of the sleep center on the office’s ground floor. Not only that, but he also serves as faculty at Mount Sinai, NYU, and Columbia and is a member of several medical associations and boards across the nation. Oh, and did I also mention he is fluent in Hebrew, French, and Spanish and practices martial arts? Yeah, Dr. J is pretty incredible to say the least, and I feel so privileged to have had the chance to get to know him.

From the very first day, I was graciously allowed to hop on board and see patients with the doctor. Over the course of the externship, I sat (and stood) through hours of appointments with patients of all ages (from two to 98), personalities, and symptoms (allergies, earaches, bloody noses, hearing loss, narcolepsy, and severe cancers of the thyroid, throat, and ear). I tried to absorb as much as I could. Dr. Jacobowitz is a fantastic teacher, and I learned more about the ear, nose, and throat and about sleep disorders than I ever expected to during the externship. I was witness to countless examinations with an endoscopic telescope that lets you see deep inside the nose and throat; my favorite was getting to actually see someone’s vocal cords in action under a strobe light as the patient said “eeeeee’’!

Priyanka, Dr. Jacobowitz, and staff members at Hudson Valley Ear, Nose, & Throat, who surprised Priyanka with a cake on her last day.

On two days of my externship, I followed Dr. Jacobowitz into the operating room to observe surgery. It was truly an unforgettable experience. I got a little too excited during the first surgery I observed and almost fainted! Apparently it’s natural (called the vaso-vagal reflex), especially when observing medical procedures. After a few tasty snacks from the staff lounge, a drink of water, and some ice on my neck, I jumped back in and was fine for the rest of the day. Altogether I saw a tonsillectomy, several septoplasties (nasal surgeries to improve the airway through the nose), a complete thyroidectomy (neck dissection to remove a huge thyroid), and an endoscopic procedure in the throat to improve someone’s ability to swallow. Surgery is definitely nerve-wracking and stressful, both for the surgeon and the patient (and anyone observing, like me!), but it’s also extremely precise and careful, especially in the hands of someone like Dr. Jacobowitz. He calls surgery “controlled trauma.”

Shadowing Dr. Jacobowitz gave me a lot of medical knowledge to absorb, but more important is what I learned from his personality and just being with him. “You’re learning from the best,” his patients told me over and over again. His staff love him too because he is so down to earth and such a terrific teacher. “Dr. J was born to teach,” they say. Whether I was listening to him explain something or just watching him do his job, Dr. Jacobowitz had something to teach me. He showed me what it truly means to be compassionate to others. He demonstrated that a good doctor is the one who listens and spends as much time with a patient as the patient needs even if it means running behind schedule and hoping that the next patient will understand and forgive him for the wait.

“Communication is key to being a doctor, and most diagnoses can be made just by listening carefully to someone,” he told me once. I learned from him what it means to weather the difficulties and remain calm and composed in the midst of stress, fatigue, difficult surgery, or even difficult patients (and we saw a few of those, too). He showed me that being a busy doctor with a thousand important things to do shouldn’t stop you from pausing to answer someone’s question or greet people passing by with a smile and “How are you doing?” I also learned that work is important but so is a balanced life—whether that means spending time with family, practicing martial arts with his son, or listening to his ’80s favorites on the radio.

It’s hard to express and quantify the experience I had shadowing Dr. Jacobowitz at HVENT, and this blog post doesn’t do it justice, but I hope it gives a glimpse. Before signing off, I’d like to sincerely thank the coordinators of the MIT Externship Program, the host family I was staying with in Middletown, all the patients whose hands I shook and who wished me good luck, everyone at HVENT and ORMC, and—last but definitely not least—Dr. Jacobowitz for all the hospitality and care I was shown during a truly eye-opening and unforgettable IAP.

I said goodbye to New York on my way to JFK International Airport, but who knows—maybe someday life will lead me back to Middletown and HVENT?

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IAP Externships: The Value Proposition for Student and Sponsor

by Amy Marcott on February 12, 2012

in Alumni Life,Design,Energy,IAP,Student Life

This is part of a series of posts from MIT students and alumni who were involved in the 2012 Student/Alumni Externship Program, which connected current students to alumni in workplaces worldwide during MIT’s Independent Activities Period. Alumni, learn how to get involved.

Guest blogger: Stephen J. T. Murphy SM ’87, Principal of Acquisitions, Campanelli Companies (commercial real estate development and construction firm)
Externs: Steve Bonelli and Mike DiMinico, grad students in the Center for Real Estate

MIT externs Steve Bonelli (center) and Mike DiMinico (right) with Partner Steve Murphy and his son, Dylan Murphy (left).

For several years, Campanelli has participated in the MIT Externship program. Campanelli is the second largest commercial development firm in Massachusetts and this year, we have two exceptional students from the Center for Real Estate spending their time with us: Steve Bonelli and Mike DiMinico.

When we first decided to participate, we knew the potential for real value for both our firm and the students would depend on how focused we could make the students’ experience. After all, IAP is only about three weeks long, and real estate projects can take years to complete. So how could the students really get a chance to engage?

We realized, however, that there are always many issues that could benefit from a deeper exploration but get left on the sidelines for lack of time or resources. Yet these same topics, if properly assessed, could help clarify or alter some larger decisions on a project. We decided to take advantage of the research skills and intellectual curiosity of our externs to investigate these topics.

Each year, we design a discreet topic of investigation that can be researched and evaluated within the three-week timeframe. About a week is devoted to data collection, a week to analysis, and a week to developing conclusions. Steve and Mike then presented their findings to the firm. In past years, we have covered topics ranging from age-restricted housing to inter-municipal service agreements for projects that straddle community boundaries. In each case, the topic is directly relevant to a project we are considering or have underway, and the findings have always contributed to our decisions affecting the project.

This approach also gives the externs the opportunity to learn about a topic that is both new to them and relevant in their field of study. The topics have even served eventually as the bases for student theses. This year, Steve and Mike collaborated on two somewhat interrelated topics: state and local incentives available to attract industrial enterprises, including those involved in renewable energy, to a particular site in Massachusetts and the incentives available to promote private development of renewable energy installations, such as solar and wind power. Campanelli is committed to exploring sustainable alternatives in their buildings and will utilize this information to pursue installing solar on some of our currently owned properties.

As a sponsor, we see a great value proposition for Campanelli in participating in the externship program. We get to explore new areas of interest, we get to work with talented young people who bring new ideas and a fresh perspective, and we support the mission of MIT.

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Photo of the Week by Owen Franken ’68—Feb. 11, 2012

by Amy Marcott on February 11, 2012

in Franken Photo of the Week

A couple at the bar of Le Kube Hôtel, Paris (© Owen Franken/photographed for the New York Times, April 7, 2006).

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IAP Externships: Learning the Immunology of Autoimmune Diseases

by Amy Marcott on February 9, 2012

in IAP,Student Life

This is part of a series of posts from MIT students and alumni who were involved in the Student/Alumni Externship Program, which connects current students to alumni in workplaces worldwide during MIT’s Independent Activities Period. Alumni, learn how to get involved.

Guest blogger: Isra Shabir ’14
Host: Dr. Leonard Chess ’64

Lunch with Dr. Chess. From left: Isra Shabir '14, Leonard Chess '64, Judy Deng '14

My name is Isra Shabir, and I’m a current sophomore at MIT. I’m spending my IAP in New York City at Columbia University’s Medical Center, immersing myself in the specific aspect of biology and clinical research known as immunology. Heard of type I diabetes? Familiar with what causes it? The answer, which I shall explain in a bit, is surprising and unknown to most people.

On my first day at the Medical Center, I was slightly nervous but excited at the same time to be walking among so many world-class doctors and researchers. Luckily, I wasn’t alone. Judy Deng ’14 also happened to be externing with me, and we were both ecstatic to do this program. Our mentor, Dr. Leonard Chess ’64, has served as a medical researcher and division head of rheumatology at Columbia for 26 years. Incredible? Yes. What’s more, he’s the most amiable professor-like figure I have ever worked with. Soon after we all met up at the highly secured gates, Dr. Chess gave us a tour of the Medical Center and spent some time talking about its history. Later, we settled at his office and exchanged fun facts about each other’s lives. Professor Chess also made it clear to us that in the next one month, we were to learn a lot, but of course, in a fun way. He then let us off with some lunch money—sweet, right?

So what goes on at the Chess Lab? Dr. Chess and his team are working on finding a clinical cure to autoimmune diseases. These diseases are initiated when our body’s immune mechanism begins to attack and destroy self-cells as opposed to just attacking foreign matter. Type I diabetes is an example of an autoimmune disease. It’s caused when the pancreas is attacked and can no longer produce insulin for the maintenance of blood glucose level. Dr. Chess’s lab has been testing various mechanisms to fight autoimmunity causing type I diabetes in mice. Remarkably, there has been immense success in this research. And now, their focus is to make advancements in clinical research in order to treat the disease in humans.

Cell cultures That’s some background information on what the lab does. Judy and I have been spending our time studying immunological concepts and, in detail, autoimmune diseases. Every day, we go over a different topic with Dr. Chess and discuss it. Later in the day, we are allowed into the lab to shadow some of the ongoing research procedures as well as assist the researchers. For example, we started off culturing cells and counting them upon growth. On the left is a picture of what Judy and I called our “baby” cells (after all, we fed them and took care of them).

After spending two weeks at this externship, we have already learned quite a bit about autoimmune diseases. We will be spending the next two weeks learning more about clinical protocols of research as well as gaining insight into how biological research can be extended to patients and normal human beings. We will also get to spend one entire day shadowing a medical doctor and acquaint ourselves with the work life of a general practitioner. Both of us are excited about this opportunity!

Oh, did I forget to mention that we’ve been exploring NYC too? Judy and I love shopping and eating. So we’ve been trying the different food carts NYC offers, as well as window shopping to our hearts’ desires. We’re planning on hitting up some museums soon, too. And the complicated subway system is now second nature to both of us. Life’s good!

I must say that even though there’s only so much one can gain from a monthlong period, it’s the experience that counts and makes it worthwhile. I am getting to learn concepts one-on-one with an accomplished teacher while also developing my knowledge in areas I might not have otherwise. I have found an awesome friend in Judy, and I am getting to know New York City as much as possible. If someone wants to gain in-depth knowledge in something completely new, find out about a career, and have some fun at the same time, the MIT Student/Alumni Externship Program is the way to go!

At least this is my opinion. You’ll have to believe me.

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Join Leading Entrepreneurs at the MIT Global Startup Workshop, March 28–30

by Amy Marcott on February 7, 2012

in Learning,Management,Student Life

Guest bloggers: Grad students Terrence Pong and Maria Telleria on behalf of the GSW 2012 team

Want to find out the latest in innovation strategies? Interested in meeting world-renowned entrepreneurs to discuss the startup landscape and your startup ideas? Looking to expand your network on a global scale?

Then the 15th MIT Global Startup Workshop (MIT GSW) is the conference for you. MIT GSW is the world’s premier workshop dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and building entrepreneurial ecosystems globally. This year, it will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. MIT students, in conjunction with the MIT Enterprise Forum of Turkey and Turkey’s leading Ozyegin and Sabanci Universities, bring you three days packed with networking opportunities, discussions led by leading entrepreneurs, and the first-ever Startup Showcase. The workshop brings together over 300 participants from over 70 nations; participants include entrepreneurial leaders, executives, next-generation entrepreneurs, professors, financiers, students, and government officials.

The MIT Global Startup Workshop (MIT GSW) was founded in 1997 when the MIT $50K (now $100K) Entrepreneurship Competition received numerous queries from around the world from organizations interested in starting and improving their own business plan competitions (BPCs). The first MIT GSW was held on campus in March 1998 and brought together an international community committed to launching BPCs to stimulate and nurture entrepreneurship worldwide.

A decade later, having helped grow and mature the BPC community, the MIT GSW expanded its mission to include all aspects of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Today we continue to build stronger, more productive entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world and a diverse and dynamic global support network for entrepreneurs.

How Do Students Pull this Off?

Each year, the all-student GSW team organizes panels to address region-specific challenges over three days. As soon as one conference concludes, preparation gets underway for the next GSW. Through a competitive bidding process, organizations, universities, and governments from around the world make their pitch on how the GSW could help to inspire and foster interest in entrepreneurship in their country. The team then travels to the host country to conduct site visits and meet with the local team.

Once the host country has been chosen, the MIT team focuses on the main issues that impact the entrepreneurial ecosystem in and around the host country. They invite keynote speakers, identify promising young entrepreneurs, and mobilize a growing group of active GSW alumni to make the next conference a success. The content is designed entirely by the student-run team with individual graduate and undergraduate students taking charge of organizing panel sessions, case studies, or networking sessions.

Running the conference exposes the team to wide-reaching experiences that truly live up to the Global Startup Workshop name. In the past, the team has coordinated the conference in South Korea using the local Hangul (Korean) standard keyboards, organized a gala dinner in an ancient Castle in Cape Town, and rubbed elbows with the president of Iceland in the midst of the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption.

The theme of the 2012 workshop is Directions for Innovation, and discussions will focus on new technological directions, ways of addressing a global market, and the relationships among entrepreneurs, investors, and supporting organizations. Turkey, situated at the crossroads of civilizations with its own vibrant economy, young population, and a fast-growing consumer market, is poised to be a regional hub for entrepreneurship and investment. Istanbul, spanning East to West, is an inspiring location for this year’s MIT GSW.

Special Application Deadlines

The Startup Showcase is an unrivaled marketing opportunity for startups at all stages and offers attendees the opportunity to highlight their products and services to the entire conference. This is your chance to show your idea to potential customers and investors as well as to receive feedback from fellow entrepreneurs. Applications for a spot in the Startup Showcase are due Feb. 15.

The GSW fellowship is meant to encourage new entrepreneurs to attend the conference by covering the registration and accommodation costs for up to 10 budding entrepreneurs. Applicants must present a compelling story of how they plan to contribute to entrepreneurial development in their region as well as to the GSW community. Applications are due Feb 8.

“The 2011 MIT GSW was such a turning point, both for my personal life and for my startup life. During the GSW I participated in the Elevator Pitch Contest, and I was able to pitch my idea to students, entrepreneurs, and VCs from all over the world. The connections I made there led me to apply for the startup accelerator MassChallenge and eventually to launch the first beta version of StyleShare for the international community.” —Jay, South Korea MIT GSW attendee

This year’s confirmed keynote speakers include: