In the News, December 2013

Former president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Charles M. Vest, Ph.D, passed away last week at the age of 72. Dr. Vest, WV A ’63, helped create the M.I.T. OpenCourseWare which made all course material available for free online. He also took on gender discrimination during his tenure as MIT president.

Dr. Vest was previously provost and vice president of academic affairs at the University of Michigan. After leaving MIT, he served as president of the National Academy of Engineering from 2007 until early this year. Read the obituary from The New York Times

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Woman’s Day magazine recently profiled Karen A. Panetta, Ph.D. (MA D ’85), and Nerd Girls. Dr. Panetta is an assistant professor of engineering at Tufts University and founded Nerd Girls, a community of female college students who work on engineering projects. Today, there are “200 chapters in 27 countries and nearly 200 women have passed through the program in the United States alone.” In the article, Dr. Panetta gives her goal as “wanting to change the perception of women in engineering and science.”

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In a press release, the 2014 Breakthrough Prize winners in Fundamental Physics and Life Sciences were announced. A total of eight scientists received awards, two for physics and six for life sciences. Tau Beta Pi member Robert S. Langer, Ph.D. (NY D ’70), was among the recipients recognized “for discoveries leading to the development of controlled drug-release systems and new biomaterials.” Dr. Langer is currently a professor at MIT.

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