School of Engineering Infinite Mile Awards

Congratulations to the 2009 recipients.

WELCOME BY DEAN SUBRA SURESH:

Hello. I’m Subra Suresh, Dean of the School of Engineering, and it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the School’s Ninth Annual Infinite Mile Awards Celebration.

There are currently 136 members of what we call the fellowship of School of Engineering Infinite Mile Award winners. Today another 13 people, with a combined total of 173 years of MIT service, will receive individual Infinite Mile Awards. We will also present one team award to 3 people with a total of 36 years of MIT service.

I ask all of you who have received School of Engineering Infinite Mile Awards in previous years to stand up. Thank you. I am very pleased that you have been able to join us today.

We are grateful to the SoE department heads and center and laboratory directors for their help in coordinating the nomination process, and to those of you who took the time to nominate your coworkers and colleagues. Your thoughtful contributions make this celebration possible.

This is truly a team effort for your Dean’s Office. The selection committee this year was comprised of our two Associate Deans, Professor Cindy Barnhart and Professor Karen Gleason; and our three Assistant Deans, Dedric Carter, Eileen Ng-Ghavidel and Donna Savicki. Thank you. I would also like to recognize and thank the members of the Dean’s Office staff who helped organize this event. They are Chad Galts, Mary Anne Gowen, Lisa Magnano Bleheen, Katie Smakula and Brian Tavares. Thank you.

This year, we have added a very special award, the Ellen J. Mandigo Award for Outstanding Service, which is funded by a bequest from Ms. Mandigo, who was a member of the MIT community from 1942 until her retirement in 1991. Donna will tell you more about Ellen later. It is a privilege for us to honor Ellen’s memory with this award. Thanks to Ellen’s generosity, we have created an endowed account in her name and plan to make this award an annual event.

Finally, my thanks to all of you for taking the time to share in this joyful and inspirational event. I hope you will be able to stay for conversation and refreshments after the awards have been presented.