IAP

Student Tackles Tissue-Engineering Challenges

by Amy Marcott on March 4, 2012

in Engineering,IAP,Student Life

Guest blogger: Jesse Kirkpatrick ’15
Externship* host: Thomas Cervantes ’11

Jesse Kirkpatrick

Jesse Kirkpatrick '15 in the lab.

When I wrote my series of articles in The Tech spotlighting the externship program and all that it has to offer, I was a reporter, synthesizing the anecdotes of others into something that people hopefully read and found interesting. I learned about one student who had spent IAP on a farm in the French countryside, and another who had received a summer internship offer from Bank of America after spending a month there as an extern.

But until I got the chance to experience it for myself, I had no idea just how fulfilling an externship could be.

I spent a month working on the coolest project ever. I was lucky enough to get an offer to extern at the Vacanti Lab, a Mass General tissue engineering lab. I was put to work on the lab’s liver project, which seeks to engineer implantable liver tissue constructs. The project has the potential to save thousands of lives.

In tissue engineering, one of the greatest challenges is blood supply. The organs in our bodies are embedded with a fine and precise array of tiny blood vessels, which usually must run within 100 micrometers of every cell to sustain life. The liver happens to have a rather intricate blood vessel architecture, which had previously been modeled by the Vacanti Lab and milled into a brass mold. My goal was to use this mold to fabricate devices that could sustain blood flow and allow for viable liver cell seeding. This would be the first step toward a tissue-engineered liver construct.

It was cool having the independence to really think critically about challenges and implement potential solutions. Tom Cervantes, my awesome sponsor and mentor, taught me lab techniques, tutored me in the CAD software SolidWorks, and showed me how to think and plan like an engineer. He mentored me at every step of the design and fabrication process.

The biggest challenge was bonding a nanoporous membrane to the device such that liver cells could interact freely with the tissue-engineered blood vessels below. As it turns out, there are a ton of different kinds of membranes. Some are completely impermeable, some permeable only to gases but not to nutrients, some are permeable to both but don’t bond well with the material of the device, and some are just so flimsy that they’ll burst with the slightest pressure. This was one of the many engineering challenges that I had to wade through during my month at the lab, and each one gave me a valuable new perspective on the liver project as a whole.

I became extremely invested in the project. I would sometimes stay at the lab until 6:00 or even 7:00, fabricating new devices or testing prototypes. At the end of the month, I presented my project to the entire lab, and heard some insightful feedback from people who had been working in the field for decades. Though it was admittedly a scary experience, it helped me recognize some of the details that I may have neglected, and allowed me to take a step back and view the project from another viewpoint.

My externship has ended, but my work is not done. I’ll be staying on as an intern during the spring term, and I look forward to making even more progress on the liver device. It’s an exciting time for tissue engineering, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

 

*Editor’s note: 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.

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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.

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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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.

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.

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).

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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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

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 culturesThat’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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IAP Externships: Students Aid Microelectronics Problem-Solving

by Amy Marcott on February 2, 2012

in Alumni Life,IAP,Student Life

This is part of a series of posts from MIT students and alumni who are 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: Richard Otte ’61, SM ’64, president and CEO, Promex Industries Inc., a microelectronics assembly service provider
Externs: Grant Iwamoto ’13 and Rachel Luo ’14

From left: Richard Otte '61, SM '64, president and CEO, Promex Industries Inc. with 2012 externs Rachel Luo '14 and Grant Iwamoto '13

From left: Richard Otte '61, SM '64, president and CEO of Promex Industries Inc., with 2012 externs Rachel Luo '14 and Grant Iwamoto '13.

Introduction

Santa Clara, California-based Promex had two externs for a month in 2011 and now has two more externs in 2012.

The 2011 Externs

Our 2011 experience was the first with undergraduate externs; that worked out well for us.  The externs worked together to solve a problem we had in a process for fabricating parts.  The parts are a family of semiconductor packages that range in size from 12 mm x 12 mm x 1 mm to 2 mm x 2 mm x 1 mm.  The problem was contamination of surfaces during a molding process.

The job for the externs was to find a solution to this problem that we could implement in our manufacturing process.  Several of our engineers who were familiar with the problem, the process, and some potential solutions worked with the externs and met with them several times a week.  The result was that the externs made an important finding that became the foundation of a simple but robust process that we implemented and continue using.

The 2012 Externs

The 2012 externs are working on separate projects.  Grant Iwamoto ’13 is characterizing the performance of a class of parts we manufacture using standard industry tests.  This requires developing a test plan, acquiring, assembling, and evaluating the parts at multiple stages using various methods including microscopy, and writing a report for our website for use by customers interested in these performance parameters.  At the same time, this extern is looking for the root cause of a failure in this type of part.

Rachel Luo ’14 is working with one of our engineers who is involved with the MIT Communications Technology Roadmap (CTR).  The objective is to develop materials for a report for the CTR.  This effort involves conceiving of and evaluating potential methods of optical transport of data from one point to another, particularly onto and off of semiconductor chips.  We want to define a sequence of structures of increasing capacity to support the growing data rates required by evolving semiconductor devices and then quantify this performance.  The result will be a slide deck for submission to the CTR for potential inclusion in their reports.

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IAP Externships: Making Public Policy Accessible

by Amy Marcott on January 30, 2012

in IAP,Student Life

This is part of a series of posts from MIT students and alumni who are 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: Mariel Villeré, grad student pursuing a master of science in architecture studies, focusing on the history, theory, and criticism of architecture and art
Host: Christine Gaspar MA ’04, MCP ’04

Mariel Villeré

Mariel Villeré with some of the publications created through the Center for Urban Pedagogy's Making Policy Public project.

Approaching the old American Can Factory in Brooklyn on a cold January morning, the wind pushed me along the sidewalks through the barren industrial landscape to my first day at the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP). I have admired the work of the organization for several years and finally had the opportunity to connect with them directly via my externship sponsor, Christine Gaspar.

CUP works to make public policy accessible, directing and coordinating designers and advocacy groups to address issues that demand public attention but lack transparency. Visualization tools such as graphic novels, bold charts, and video animations equip community organizations with the tools for citizen empowerment.

One of the most prevalent avenues for distributing this information is, of course, their website. In fact, their new website launched on my first day of the externship. Reviewing the site and its breadth of content better introduced me to their work and prepared me for the outreach and distribution efforts I would be undertaking.

Making Policy Public publications

Just two of the publications CUP produces.

The Making Policy Public (MPP) project is a series of pamphlets produced through the aforementioned partnerships on topics ranging from predatory equity, street vendors’ rights, the cargo network of industrial shipping and trading, getting a job after serving time, and, for teens, how to navigate being arrested. One of my first tasks was to follow up with community groups distributing these pamphlets to gather information about how they’ve been used, who has been using them, and how to make these sorts of projects more useful in the future. It was fascinating to get perspectives from tenants’ rights organizations, the Midtown community court, and others as to whose hands these pamphlets have been in and what effects they’ve had on individual lives.

I have been working on developing relationships with independent and museum bookshops throughout the five boroughs of New York to start selling the MPPs on their shelves. It has been interesting to revisit some of my favorite neighborhood booksellers in a business capacity, connecting with them through CUP and the appeal for their clientele. This has been especially practical experience for my anticipated future work in publications, particularly low-volume, creative publications.

The energy behind CUP is inspiring, and the office environment is like no other I’ve experienced—open, light, and collaborative. I appreciate the creative connections CUP makes to generate new perspectives and educational tools for their partners and constituents. It’s also been fun to explore Gowanus, a neighborhood I only vaguely knew prior to this month, and to reconnect with other parts of New York that I’ve felt nostalgic for.

The best part about this experience has been an immediate shift in the lens through which I see urban spaces. I notice new layers that CUP addresses in its work and feel strongly about political (both local and national) decisions that may seem arbitrary, but can have a major effect on daily urban life. I am excited to continue these projects over the next two weeks and hope to find myself continually tuning in to new planning and policy measures.

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DIY-IAP: What is Your Definition of a Successful Scientist?

by Jay London on January 26, 2012

in IAP,In the News,Science,Student Life

Late last year, Science Magazine invited the “next generation of scientists” to answer the questions, “How will the practice of science change in your lifetime?” and “What will improve and what new challenges will emerge?” The queries kicked off Science Magazine’s new section, NextGen VOICES, and highlighted the need for young scientific voices to address the critical challenges in an increasingly resource-limited world. The top 50 responses were posted in the January 2012 edition, which included four MIT graduate students.

Dianne Kamfonik (Civil and Environmental Engineering): “Science, more than ever, is being bottlenecked by politics. For example, scientists have not only shown that climate change is happening, but they have also already developed many ways to combat it.”

Andrew David Warren (Health Sciences and Technology): “Should researchers be afraid of being replaced? Not for a long time—scientists will continue to provide the creativity. Computers will simply help us identify what we do (and don’t) know.”

Vyas Ramanan (Health Sciences and Technology): “As robotic labor overtakes humans in efficiency across many industries and at many points along the value chain, new types of jobs must be created to ensure stable employment for the working-age population.”

Yiftach Nagar (Sloan School of Management): “Increasing stratification will cause many talented people to give up academic careers for work in rising multinational corporations, which will fund applicative research. As larger data sets become owned by companies, free dissemination and open scrutiny of findings will be challenged.”

Now, it’s your turn. The second NextGen VOICES survey asks, “What is your definition of a successful scientist?” and “How has this definition changed between your mentor’s generation and your own?” The question is open to any young scientists and the deadline is February 17. Click here to post your answers (250 words or less).

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IAP Externships: Bringing Science to the Masses

by Amy Marcott on January 25, 2012

in IAP,Science,Student Life

This is part of a series of posts from MIT students and alumni who are 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: Elizabeth Halliday, grad student in MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Biological Oceanography
Host: David Waggett ’81

Elizabeth Halliday

Elizabeth Halliday is a grad student in MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Biological Oceanography.

Minds Expanded.  That’s a catchphrase for the World Science Festival, and I think it’s a pretty succinct summation of how Allison Lee ’13 and I feel after the first week of our externship.  Following a fall semester where we both were intensely focused on research and coursework, the externship has helped us to rejoin the world at large, catch up on the news, and get excited about science all over again!

We’re working with a team of editorial producers to develop tons of mind-expanding programs for the public to experience May 30–June 3 in New York City.  The overarching mission of the World Science Festival, which was cofounded by physicist and author Brian Greene and Emmy-winning journalist Tracy Day, is “to cultivate a general public informed by science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future.” To do this, the World Science Festival brings together celebrated scientists, artists, journalists, innovators, and the cultural and scientific institutions of New York.

Programs have many formats and can feature anything from storytelling to symphonies but tend to bring together a panel of celebrated scientists to talk about a big idea.  They may be assisted by a moderator or by media-driven visualizations that help bring it all together for the audience.  Programs from previous years can be viewed on the web, and many feature scientists from MIT!

Allison Lee '13

Allison Lee '13

In the externship, we’re learning how to pull compelling ideas from huge bodies of research and how to effectively bring people together to make an idea for a program a reality. A typical day might have us researching questions like, How many countries are building cities dedicated to science and technological innovation? Or, Is science shaping policy in the new Egyptian government? Not to mention trying to keep track of the news on neutrinos. It is fascinating and fast-paced.

Of course, New York City is also a great place for mind expansion. The offices of the World Science Festival are in a beautiful building near Columbia University. My commute—depending on the day—takes me through Midtown, along Central Park, and on the subway.  I ride trains and buses and get to experience the swarms of people, each person like a cell belonging to a larger organism, funneled into and out of the ground, moving on with their lives.  On the weekends, I’ve been exploring the fantastic cultural resources—the famous public library, the dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History, and the wild exhibition that’s currently hanging down the center of the Guggenheim.

It’s been a great experience so far, and we still have three weeks to go!

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