STS.050  The History of MIT

Just a reminder that the Spring 2012 Online Subject Evaluations (http://web.mit.edu/subjectevaluation) are now open.  You have until Monday, May 21 at 9 AM to complete your survey.  (For which we would be most grateful!)   Thanks,  Debbie Douglas
 

Apologies all but Prof. Smith will not be providing any extra questions for your reflection papers.  Do come to class prepared to discuss your questions about MIT in the near future or, put another way, if you were asked to give advice to the next president of MIT, what would be your top 2-3 points?  What makes MIT special today?  What changes should it make for the future?   Regards, Debbie Douglas

We know that this is a very intense week for students, so conveniently, this week the focus is on the one aspect of MIT history that you are the experts on: MIT today!  Seriously, the reading/viewing is pretty modest but important.  The brief intro to Ed Robert's report on the entrepreneurial impact of MIT should blow you away and we hope the video "Common Threads" will get you thinking about your own experience in the context of history.    As for the other readings and videos, take your pick.  There's more detail on OCW in the Chuck Vest speech but since the announcement of EdX last week, I would encourage you to read those press announcements as well.  Online education is something MIT wants to pioneer but consider what William Barton Rogers might think about it.  Is it all "mens" and no "manus"?   The video, "Outside the Box," explores MIT's interdisciplinary culture.  We are curious if what the professors and talking heads (including me) describe rings true to you?  If you watch this video or read the Frank Moss pieces, consider how MIT has nurtured (in the classroom, lab and shop) invention and discovery over the past 150 years.   If you are a student life junkie, read the reports of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Educational Commons. Finally, we know some of you have taken classes with Prof. Rosalind Williams, so you might find the excerpt from her autobiographical book on life as Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education (now two jobs) helpful in making sense of the changes we have been talking about these past few weeks.

A word on the schedule.  Chancellor Grimson will be speaking from 1-2 which will will then follow with discussion (we will post Prof. Smith's questions for the reflection paper separately) and concluding remarks.  If have questions about your final paper, we are happy to answer them.

Best,  Debbie Douglas

For the non-seniors!   I have arranged funding to support a student this summer who is interested in becoming totally immersed in the history of AeroAstro at MIT.  The Museum will be working with the department to collect a great many new artifacts (maybe even the DARPA vehicle) to augment an already extensive collection of artifacts donated at earlier times.  We are looking for a student who loves to do research and talk to people as the task is to create short histories (what we call "cataloging" in the museum business) of these artifacts and the department.  The student would be involved in researching these artifacts, gathering photos, videos, films, documents, and writing materials for online presentations and future exhibitions at the museum and AeroAstro.  Demonstrating initiative, being able to work without constant supervision, interacting effectively with senior faculty and staff and good writing skills are essential but so too is a strong interest in learning about MIT's history and sharing it with others.   If you are interested, please let me know.  I want the members of this class to have first dibs before we advertise more broadly.   Best, Debbie Douglas

Greetings, 

For many faculty and staff, the readings, videos and stories assigned for next week, seem more like "recent events" rather than history.  At lunch a couple of weeks ago, I had to remind our guest speaker that when the NYT first broke the story in 1999, you were in middle school so that chances are, you would just be learning about the famous tape measure and other revolutions that have transformed life for women faculty at universities around the world.

In addition to Prof. Bailyn and Prof. Hopkins' essays, you'll watch a fascinating short video in which the late Prof. Bill Mitchell describes the amazing building boom of the 1990s that yielded Stata, Simmons, Maki and many other intriguing new facilities.  Among the optional readings, if you are a Media Lab fan, read Steward Brand's chapters (and Frank Moss' next week).  If you want to learn more about robotics and AI at MIT, Rod Brook's book Flesh and Machines is fantastics.   Those that enjoyed Sherry Turkel's essay last week, may want to read her more recent investigation that documents more recent styles of engineering and science research.  After the turbulent period in the late 1960s, students became much more involved in the governance of MIT.  Two major reports (one by administrators and one by students) explore student life in the 1990s and what the MIT community wanted it to be going forward.  Read them to see if you think the Institute succeeded!   Finally, there are two very short articles.  AeroAstro fans will like the story of the Daedalus Human Powered Airplane and honestly, everyone should read Jay Keyser's short essay on hacking at MIT.   It's a great piece and we'd love your take on it!

Again, just a reminder that I will be sending your reflection papers on to Prof. Hopkins on Sunday evening, so I'd be grateful for a timely submission.   AND I've added an official 2nd long paper assignment sheet to the Stellar website for your to download.  The main thing is the due dates and that for this paper, you do not have to write a website label.   Otherwise, if you have not done so, please be in touch about your topic.

Cheers,

Debbie Douglas