See the Community Mosaic: Thousands of Photos, One MIT

“Nothing can possibly replace the sense of being connected, in one joyful time and place, with 3,500 freshly minted MIT graduates and the people who helped them get there,” MIT President L. Rafael Reif said during his charge to the class of 2020 at MIT’s Virtual Commencement on May 29. “Today, though you are scattered across nearly every time zone, everything we value about MIT is embodied in you.”

Since most of the MIT community was required to leave campus in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, its members have found many ways to stay connected: Zoom social gatherings, community collaborations to aid in the pandemic response, a virtual concert from the Logarhythms, and even a campus tour in a far-off world, among others.

These initiatives and celebrations helped prove that even when the Institute’s students, alumni, and friends are spread all over the world, they are a united MIT community. It’s a truth made visible in the MIT Community Mosaic, a crowdsourced collection of thousands of photos that highlight the many faces, places, and traditions that make up MIT.

Coinciding with this year’s Virtual Tech Reunions, held May 29–31, the MIT Community Mosaic project encouraged all community members to upload photos showcasing their connection to the Institute—featuring Brass Rats, red jackets, special memories, favorite spots on campus, and more.

The response was extraordinary—and the result is a montage of more than 7,000 unique photos that combine to form one large image of the iconic Great Dome. The final version includes photos submitted by alums representing 75 graduating class years, along with current students, past and present faculty, postdocs, MITx and professional education learners, parents, spouses, staff, and even Tim the Beaver.

View a selection of uploaded photos below, then visit the interactive Community Mosaic page to search for your photo, if you added one, or find a classmate or faculty member. You can also zoom in and out of the Great Dome image to explore in detail all the people and moments that make up the mosaic.