MIT Tech Connection

An MIT Alumni Association Publication

October 2024

Headshot of Victor Ambros, left, and Simon Johnson on a red background with a small image of the Nobel medal at top right.

Two Alums among MIT Nobelists for 2024

Victor Ambros ’75, PhD ’79 and MIT Professor Simon Johnson PhD ’89 recently joined the long list of MIT alumni with Nobel Prizes. Honored for the discovery of microRNA, Ambros will share the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Gary Ruvkun, who did his postdoctoral training at MIT. Johnson will share the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences with MIT Institute Professor Daron Acemoglu and political scientist James A. Robinson of the University of Chicago for work illuminating the relationship between political systems and economic growth.

Jennifer Yang leans her elbows on a bar while facing a person at right. Some glasses and other bar paraphernalia can be seen.

Distillery Founder with a Spirited Passion

When Jennifer Yang ’97 was at MIT, she never imagined becoming an entrepreneur. Now, she is running her own craft distillery, Covalent Spirits

MIT President Sally Kornbluth stands at a podium clapping. The podium is labeled Climate Project at MIT.

MIT Climate Project Takes Flight

Mission directors for MIT’s major climate initiative recently held a kickoff meeting with the community. “We all need to do everything we can,” said Elsa Olivetti PhD ’07.

Headshot of Dale LeFebvre silhouetted on a background of blue that repeats the words MIT Alumni.

Triumphing over Adversity

Dale LeFebvre ’93 had little more than ambition growing up. The philanthropist and patron of the arts credits MIT with putting him on the path to success.
 

Noelle Kanaga DeLuca is shown doing a karate kick. She is wearing karate clothes and has several medals around her neck. There is a US flag in the background.

Alum Is a Karate Champ Again

Decades after earning her first gold medal in karate, Noelle Kanaga DeLuca ’06 returned to competition—and martial arts glory.

Portrait of Catharine Conley with images from space in the background.

Mission: Protecting the Planet

Catharine Conley ’88, who served as NASA’s planetary protection officer from 2006 to 2017, says the job is about keeping Earth organisms off other planets and vice versa.

Nobel Prize medal on red background.

Test Your Tech Trivia Knowledge

More than 100 Nobel Prize laureates are affiliated with MIT. Who was the first MIT alumna to become a Nobelist?

1. Susan Solomon
2. Esther Duflo
3. Andrea Ghez 
4. Katharine Dexter McCormick

Get Energized at MIT Alumni Forum

Join us November 13 for Energy for Tomorrow: MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. And if you missed October’s forum on the climate impact of AI, you can watch it now.

Want to Explore the World with MIT?

The MIT Alumni Travel Program is back! Check out trip offerings for next year, including Ancient Greece, taking place in June; travelers will explore the ancient sites of Athens, the Peloponnese, Crete, and Santorini.

Explore What the MIT Federal Credit Union Can Offer You

Through the MIT Alumni Association, you—and your immediate family members—have access to a rich array of financial services benefits provided by the MIT Federal Credit Union. These include credit cards, home and auto loans, and more.

AROUND THE INSTITUTE

About Tech Connection

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October 2024

Distillery Founder with a Spirited Passion

MIT Climate Project Takes Flight

Triumphing over Adversity

Alum Is a Karate Champ Again

Mission: Protecting the Planet

Test Your Tech Trivia Knowledge

Get Energized at MIT Alumni Forum

Want to Explore the World with MIT?

Explore What the MIT Federal Credit Union Can Offer You

AROUND THE INSTITUTE