Giving Back: A PhD and a Tree

On June 12, Da Wang SM '10, PhD '14 made good on a promise he had made to his thesis committee by helping to plant a tree on Gray’s Way.

Earlier in the year, Wang was presenting to the committee when one committee member pointed out large amount of paper that had gone in to Wang’s thesis work on computing with unreliable resources.

“They said, ‘This is a lot of trees.’ So I said, ‘OK, then I’ll plant one,’” Wang remembers.

Wang, who considers himself environmentally conscious, was a bit surprised with his own response.

“Usually people don’t think about going out of their way to do extra things. The idea never occurred to me before. It just kind of happened.” he says. Wang envisioned the tree planting as a small way to give back to MIT.

A quick search on MIT’s website connected Wang with Laura Tenny of Campus Planning. Tenny, who has been with MIT for two and a half years says this is the first time she’s had a student ask to help plant a tree. Tenny worked with Grounds Services to find the place and the tree that Wang could help plant. They eventually settled on a sweetgum tree to be planted along the pedestrian walk way connecting Ames Street with McDermott Court.

Wang was able to grab a shovel and work with the Ground Services team to help the tree into its new home and give it is first watering.

“Overall it was fulfilling and fun, and I am really happy and thankful that I am able to do it,” he says.

Wang says planting the tree is just the first step in his plans to give back to MIT.

“In general I’d like to pay back to MIT, the tree is just one part. In the future I want to pay back MIT for everything I’ve gained here,” he says.