At ALC, Volunteers Celebrate Present and Future of MIT

More than 600 MIT volunteers returned to MIT’s campus for the 2016 Alumni Leadership Conference, help Sept. 23–24. The two-day conference featured nearly 50 workshops and brainstorming sessions, plus keynote lectures from MIT’s inspiring collection of alumni, faculty, and leaders. This year’s conference offered details on MIT’s most pressing research initiatives, plus the many ways that alumni and volunteers can become more involved.Want to relive the weekend, or learn about anything you may have missed? Check out the summary below then visit the ALC website for more details.The conference's opening keynote featured inspirational faculty members sharing their groundbreaking research. Assistant Professor Lydia Bourouiba discussed the transmission of infectious diseases; Assistant Professor Elsa Olivetti PhD ’07, PhD ’08 explained the dire need to improve the effectiveness of materials and resources; and Professor Hazel Sive shared insight on cell evolution and embryology.“We couldn't have done this research anywhere but MIT,” Sive says. “Where anything is possible.” Day two’s faculty keynote featured Media Lab Professor Rosalind Picard SM ’86, ScD ’81. Picard explained how technology and wearables can help people better recognize emotion, forecast depression or illness, or alert oncoming medical emergencies.  Visit the ALC website or the Alumni Association’s YouTube page to watch more keynote lectures from MIT leaders including Provost Martin A. Schmidt SM ’83, PhD ’88, who spoke about MIT's collaborative approach to addressing student issues; Alumni Association President Nicolas Chammas SM ’87, who recapped the past academic year; and MIT alumni Bridget Brett ’06, SM ’08 and R. Erich Caulfield SM ’01, PhD ’06, who explained the powerful value of alumni volunteers.The keynote sessions were equally as informative, and included new topics focused entrepreneurship and multimedia technology. Download slides and handouts from many of the breakout sessions, including the young alumni panel, Building a Volunteer Pipeline, and Educational Council training. MIT alumni celebrate their Margaret L. A. MacVicar ’65, ScD ’67 Awards, newly-established honor the debuted at ALC 2016.Per tradition, the two-day conference closed with Saturday evening’s Leadership Awards Celebration, where 33 alumni and three alumni groups were honored for their dedication to MIT, including Gerald M. Appelstein ’80; Barry R. Bronfin ’60, SM ’61, ScD ’63; and Mohammed A. Jameel ’78. The trio received the Bronze Beaver Award, the highest honor that the Alumni Association bestows up on its volunteers.For more details on the weekend, including a cameo from Tim the Beaver, search the hashtag #MITALC on Twitter and Instagram. And don’t forget to save the date for next year’s Alumni Leadership Conference: Sept. 16–17, 2016.