Overview
The Staff Advice & Implementation Committee (SAIC) shall advise the Dean of Engineering on best practices related to the advancement of staff engagement and professional development opportunities for all Staff members across the School of Engineering.
Membership
The SAIC is open to any employee within SoE who is willing to volunteer, promote a diversity of views, and who is passionate about working towards addressing issues of concern for SoE Administrative and Support Staff.
Charge
The SAIC will be organized into three working committees, plus a steering group composed of the leaders of the three committees. In addition to the chairs of the three working committees, leadership from the SoE Dean’s Office will also serve on the SAIC steering committee. The steering committee will convene on a monthly basis to discuss progress and ensure that the goals and priorities of each area are being met and continue to be aligned with the mission and goals of the School of Engineering. Committee members must commit to attending monthly meetings as well as to work individually and in small groups between meetings. This requires a commitment of 3-5 hours per month.
Charge to SAIC: Each member of SAIC will serve on one of the following three working committees:
- Community Building (CB)
The SAIC CB committee aims to provide recommendations and propose initiatives that enhance community building in MIT’s School of Engineering (SoE). We seek to ensure that the SoE community feels recognized, accepted and valued. We aim to make all members of SoE feel they can safely bring their authentic and whole self to work, express their needs and perspective freely, and trust that their voice and contributions will be solicited, respected, and integrated.
Engaging staff in planning, decision-making, and action is crucial to building and implementing the vision and mission of the school. This requires embedding all levels of SoE staff and people with an array of lived experiences within committees and decision-making bodies where this voice does not currently exist. Our mission is to provide SoE with the opportunity to strategically tap into staff interests, experience and expertise through collegial and collaborative processes that will make the SoE community even stronger to solve the world’s biggest challenges.
- Professional Development Committee (PD)
The SAIC PD committee was formed to help the SoE staff explore career opportunities within MIT, assist in identifying resources most sought after by SoE staff and recommend ways to share with the SoE community, and assist in creating and implementing customized workshops to enhance current professional skills and build new ones.
The current topics this committee is focusing on include a Staff Mentoring Program (StaMP), Roundtable Series, and centralized professional development Resources.
Please visit the SAIC PD homepage to learn more about this committee and the newly launched StaMP pilot.
- Social Events & Wellness Committee (SoWell)
This committee assists in planning and implementing social events and wellness activities for SoE that build and foster a strong sense of community.
2025 Members
Community Building
Co-Chairs: Maxine Jonas, BE and Amanda Beyer-Purvis, EECS
Moustafa Ali, Department of Biological Engineering
Moala Bannavti, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Amilton Barbosa Botelho Jr., Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Victoria Bautista, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Laura Beretsky, MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science
Andi Blumenau, Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation
Alice Boo, Department of Biological Engineering
Kezia Chee, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Pam Fradkin, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Amy Levin, Leaders for Global Operations Program
Alethia Mariotta, Department of Chemical Engineering
Hannah Mishin, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Reza Rahaman, MIT SoE Technical Leadership and Communications Programs
Justin Vieira, MIT Professional Education
Zhengpeng (Jason) Wan, Department of Biological Engineering
Anne Wilson, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Edith Wun, Department of Nuclear Engineering
Duhan Zhang, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Professional Development Committee
Co-Chairs: Samantha Pennino, CEE and Maren Axe, SCM
Amazigh Ankji, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Marine Bender, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Priscilla Capistrano, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Pranav Chhaliyil, Center for Transportation and Logistics
Ana Paula do Nascimento, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Joey Dorion, Center for Transportation and Logistics
Cara Diaz-Rohrer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ericka Elghazi, MIT SoE Technical Leadership and Communications Programs
Tamara Galoyan, Lemelson-MIT Program
Paige Hansen Colburn, Department of Biological Engineering
Amber Li, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Haoran Li, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Janine Liberty, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Sam Locke, SoE Dean’s Office
Rachel Ornitz, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Shelbi Parker, SoE Dean’s Office
Neza Sheikh, SoE Dean’s Office
Kristi Stone, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Aurelia Tompkins, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Xiang Zhang, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science
Social Events & Wellness Committee
Co-Chairs: Amanda Bendzel, ChemE and Flora J. Keumurian, CBI
Wafa Ahmed, SoE Dean’s Office
Isabel Bourelle, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Michelle Carmichael, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
Carolyn Carrington, Department of Nuclear Engineering
Jedrek Dineros, MIT Professional Education
Ella Disbennett, Department of Biological Engineering
Claudia Forero-Sloan, MIT SoE Technical Leadership and Communications Programs
Emilie Heilig, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Brian Lombardo, Lemelson-MIT Program
Emily Loveland, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science
Jay Matthews, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Kristin Meschisen, Department of Biological Engineering
Anza Mitchell, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Saana McDaniel, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Eunice Nganga, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Gregory Soloviev, SoE Dean’s Office
Jason Sparapani, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
SAIC Steering Committee
Maren Axe, Supply Chain Management Program
Samantha Pennino, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Maxine Jonas, Department of Biological Engineering
Amanda Beyer-Purvis, Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Science
Amanda Bendzel, Department of Chemical Engineering
Flora J. Keumurian, Center for Biomedical Innovation
Michele Lynn Harris, SoE Dean’s Office
Heather Kispert Hagerty, SoE Dean’s Office
Catherine Kim, SoE Dean’s Office
Nandi Bynoe, SoE Dean’s Office
Macall Coombs Zimmerman, SoE Dean’s Office
Mary Beth Gallagher, SoE Dean’s Office
Julie Kukharenko, SoE Dean’s Office
How to Get Involved
To get involved, complete the SAIC Interest form that is sent out yearly in November or email us at saic@mit.edu
Additional Considerations
No special expertise is required; this is an opportunity for us to work together and learn from each other. Please check with your supervisor before volunteering.