At SXSW Interactive, Austin is Cambridge South

The annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive festival is the world’s largest incubator for emerging technologies, new ideas, and inspired innovations. So it’s no surprise that the MIT community has a huge presence throughout the conference.

Alumni Association research indicates that more than 100 MITers will present their research during the five-day festival, which begins on Friday, March 13. (The other SXSW festivals, film and music, take place March 13–21 and March 17–22, respectively.)

The MIT contingent includes mix of faculty, alumni, and researchers on a number of eclectic topics, including the end of disability (Associate Professor Hugh Herr SM ’93); creating innovation (2015 MIT Commencement speaker Megan Smith ’86, SM ’88); the future of connected objects (Jennifer Dunnam MArch ’12); and how robots are changing the way we prepare food (Jacquelyn Martino PhD ’06).

See the Alumni Association still-growing list on MIT-connected presenters.

For more information on MIT’s role at the festival, join the #MITAlum SXSW Preview Twitter chat on Tuesday, March 10, at noon EDT. The chat will feature four alumni SXSW presenters who will answer questions and discuss their upcoming SXSW presentations. (Bio info via SXSW Interactive.)

Denise Cheng SM ’14, “The Real Risks of ‘Keepin' It Real’”

“Denise has spoken, written, and been quoted widely by NPR, Harvard Business Review, NextCity, the New Museum, and others about the sharing economy. In the past, she co-founded and structured a citizen journalism outlet that became a national model for hyperlocal and citizen journalism.

Sam Ford SM ’07, “Paid Editing of Wikipedia: Getting Past ‘Gotcha’”

“Sam Ford is director of audience engagement with Peppercomm. Sam was named 2014 Digital Communicator of the Year and a Social Media MVP by PR News and 2011 Social Media Innovator of the Year by Bulldog Reporter.”

Geoffrey Long SM ’07, “Storytelling with the New Screens”

“Having previously been the Lead Narrative Producer for Microsoft Studios, in a think tank under Microsoft's Chief Experience Officer and Chief Software Architect, a researcher and Communications Director for the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab, a magazine editor and a film producer, he serves as the Technical Director and a Research Fellow for USC's Annenberg Innovation Lab.”

Matt Stempeck SM ’13, “The Real Risks of ‘Keepin' It Real’”

“Matt’s a civic technologist. He’s studied and built creative technologies in advocacy, politics, startups, news media, and peer-to-peer humanitarian aid. He became a Master of Science at the MIT Media Lab's Center for Civic Media, and is now serving as Director of Civic Technology for Microsoft in New York City.”

The Twitter chat is co-sponsored by the MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing department. Tweet your questions and follow along with the hashtag #MITAlum beginning at noon EDT.

Are you attending SXSW? Let us know on social media. Tweet your photos to @MIT_alumni and post to the Alumni Association Facebook page.

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