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This year’s stories on Slice of MIT taught us a lot about the world, the way our alumni see it—and what they are doing to make it better. We learned that a deaf person can be a pilot, jigsaw puzzling can be a competitive sport, and happiness can be a viable business objective. 

As 2024 comes to a close, check out the 15 most-read alumni stories from Slice of MIT. 

  • A photo of Sheila Xu standing on a tarmac in front of a plane

    Sky Is No Limit for Deaf Pilot

    Sheila Xu ’14 earned her sport pilot license in 2021, becoming one of only about 200 deaf pilots licensed to fly in the United States.

  • A photo of Ravi Inukonda standing inside leading against a class wall with a TV and couch behind him

    How an Engineer Gets Dinner to Your Door

    Ravi Inukonda MBA ’10, the chief financial officer of DoorDash, describes his job as the ultimate puzzle.

  • A photo of Paul Josephson with rocks and the ocean behind him

    Historian Explains the Fish Stick

    What do nuclear power, sports bras, and fish sticks have in common? All are research topics for Paul Josephson PhD ’87.

  • A photo of Lillian Cuthbert sitting outside on gravel cross legged with greenery behind her

    Mountain Climbing Engineer Becomes Yogi

    After hiking Mount Everest, Lillian Cuthbert ’83 decided to step away from her career as a financial software application developer, which led her to a second career as a yoga instructor.

  • A photo of Tammy McLeod standing in front of a sign with the outline of the USA

    MIT Alum Holds Guinness Record for Speed Jigsaw Puzzling

    For Tammy McLeod ’99, MEng ’99, puzzles are about speed and precision: In 2020, she set a Guinness World Record by completing a 250-piece puzzle in under 10 minutes.

  • A photo of Mark Horowitz in his workshop with a wooden item in his hands leaning on a work bench

    Bradley Cooper Used This MIT Alum’s Batons in Maestro

    Retired software developer and actuary Mark Horowitz ’71 has secured a role in film history thanks to Bradley Cooper, who used his batons in the Oscar-nominated film, Maestro. 

  • A photo of Noelle Kanaga DeLuca standing inside a building with an American flag draped over her shoulders

    Decades after First Gold, Alum Is a Karate Champ Again

    Noelle Kanaga DeLuca ’06 started karate when she was four and eventually won multiple national gold medals. Following a hiatus, she recently returned to competition and earned 12 medals.

  • A photo of Jordan McRae sitting in a chair with a hard hat on

    Tapping Bones to Help People Communicate

    A scary scuba diving incident inspired Jordan McRae ’05 to seek a technical solution to the problem of communicating in challenging audio environments.

  • A photo of Amrita Saigal in a white room sitting on a white rug with boxes of Kudos diapers in front of her and a child sitting on one of the boxes

    Shark Tank Alum Is Changing the Diaper Game

    Is there a good alternative to all-plastic diapers? That’s the question Amrita Saigal ’10 posed when she pitched her diaper company on Shark Tank.

  • A photo of Sophie Bai in a lab holding lab equipment

    Can Skin Care Be Healthcare?

    Sophie Bai ’14 learned early on that skin problems can be physically and emotionally painful. Today, she is seeking solutions to conditions like eczema and cancer through her startup.

  • A photo of Larry Kahn ’75, SM ’76, David Lockwood ’75, and Rick Tucker ’80

    50+ Years of Tiddlywinks Glory

    No mere child’s play, tiddlywinks can be fiercely competitive. Larry Kahn ’75, SM ’76, David Lockwood ’75, and Rick Tucker ’80 have been playing tournament tiddlywinks since their MIT days. 

  • A photo of Chris Schell while two people are dumping a bucket of confetti over his head

    CEO Builds Success on Foundation of Happiness

    The pursuit of happiness led Chris Schell ’96 from Wall Street to a thriving business in home construction. 

  • A photo of Louise Jandura in an MIT sports uniform

    MIT’s Only Four-Time Academic All-America Honoree and Her Superpower

    Academic All-America Hall of Fame athlete Louise Jandura ’84, SM ’86 describes how sports prepared her for leadership at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

  • A photo of Stephen Hauser in a doctor's coat with a blue tinted graphic behind him of brain scan images

    On the Path to a Cure for MS

    One of the world’s leading experts on multiple sclerosis (MS), Stephen Hauser ’71 is responsible for major breakthroughs in the understanding and treatment of the disease.

  • A photo of José Esparza Lozano with a background of math equations behind him tinted green to yellow gradient

    Sharing the Life-Changing Power of Math

    José Esparza Lozano ’19 is training a Rwandan math olympiad team in hopes the positive effects he’s experienced will ripple out into the global community.

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