National Academy of Engineering

New England Regional Meeting of the National Academy of Engineering

Digital graphic with the National Academy of Engineering logo and text: New England Regional Meeting of the National Academy of Engineering, Friday, May 1, 2026, over a blue and black abstract technology background.
A sailboat floats on a river in front of a large, domed building surrounded by green trees and lawns, with walkways and people visible on the riverside path.

The MIT School of Engineering is honored to host the 2026 New England Regional Meeting of the National Academy of Engineering.

This year’s theme, “Think Differently: Understanding and Leveraging Creativity in an AI-Enabled World,” examines how human creativity drives discovery and innovation in the age of artificial intelligence.

The day will begin with a members-only meeting of the National Academy of Engineering from 9:00–10:30am followed by a full-day symposium.

The full-day symposium will highlight the essential role of creative thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing society’s most pressing challenges — from health and climate to security and equity.

While today’s AI systems offer powerful tools, they still fall short of the transformative creativity that sparks true breakthroughs. This gap — the frontier where human ingenuity must reach beyond current limits — makes fostering new forms of creativity more urgent than ever.

DateFriday, May 1, 2026
Time10:45 am–5:20 pm
LocationSamberg Conference Center
Building E52
50 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA

Agenda – Think Differently: Understanding and Leveraging Creativity in an AI-Enabled World

10:45–11:00 am Opening Remarks

  • A woman with short dark hair and glasses smiles at the camera. She is wearing a blue dress with a light green and white pattern and a gold necklace. The background is softly blurred with warm colors.

    Paula T. Hammond

    Host; Meeting Co-Chair; Dean, MIT School of Engineering; Institute Professor; Department of Chemical Engineering; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research ChemE
  • A man with short brown hair wearing a black suit, white shirt, and blue tie smiles while looking at the camera. The background is blurred with bright indoor lighting.

    Markus Buehler

    Meeting Co-Chair; Jerry McAfee (1940) Professor in Engineering; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Department of Mechanical Engineering CEE
  • A woman with short gray hair wearing a dark blazer and blue shirt stands outdoors with arms crossed, looking at the camera and smiling slightly. Green bushes and a paved path are in the background.

    Tsu-Jae King Liu

    President, National Academy of Engineering; Professor Emerita, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley

Session 1: How the Brain Creates: Understanding and Modeling Creativity

11:00–11:30 am Session 1 Lead Keynote

  • A middle-aged man with short brown and gray hair, wearing rectangular black glasses and a dark collared shirt, smiles softly at the camera in a brightly lit indoor setting.

    Yann LeCun

    Keynote Speaker

11:30 am–12:30 pm Session 1 Speakers

12:30–1:30 pm Lunch

Session 2: Interdisciplinarity in Creative Problem Solving

1:30–2:00 pm Session 2 Lead Keynote

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a navy blue shirt and patterned scarf, stands indoors with soft natural light and large windows in the background, smiling at the camera.

    Angela Belcher

    James Mason Crafts Professor; Department of Biological Engineering; Department of Materials Science and Engineering BE , DMSE

2:00–3:30 pm Session 2 Speakers

3:30–3:45 pm Break

Session 3: Educating for Outside-the-Box Problem Solving

3:45–5:15 pm Session 3 Speakers

5:15–5:20 pm Closing Remarks

Host and Co-Chairs

  • A woman with short dark hair and glasses smiles at the camera. She is wearing a blue dress with a light green and white pattern and a gold necklace. The background is softly blurred with warm colors.

    Paula T. Hammond

    Host; Meeting Co-Chair; Dean, MIT School of Engineering; Institute Professor; Department of Chemical Engineering; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research ChemE
  • A man with short brown hair wearing a black suit, white shirt, and blue tie smiles while looking at the camera. The background is blurred with bright indoor lighting.

    Markus Buehler

    Meeting Co-Chair; Jerry McAfee (1940) Professor in Engineering; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Department of Mechanical Engineering CEE

Accommodations

Preferred Hotels

MIT has several preferred hotels in the campus area, three of which are in Kendall Square.

Boston Marriott Cambridge*
2 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-494-6600
Toll-free: 800-228-9290

Courtyard Boston Cambridge by Marriott
777 Memorial Drive
Cambridge MA 02139
Phone: 617-492-7777
Toll-free: 866-323-4149

Fairfield Inn and Suites Boston Cambridge
215 Monsignor O’Brien Highway
Cambridge, MA  02141
Phone: 617-621-1999

Holiday Inn Express and Suites Boston Cambridge
250 Monsignor O’Brien Highway
Cambridge, MA 02141
Phone: 617-577-7600

Hotel Commonwealth
500 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston MA 02215
Toll-free: 866-784-4000

Hyatt Regency Boston / Cambridge
575 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: 617-492-1234
Toll-free: 800-228-9000

The Kendall Hotel*
350 Main Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-577-1300

Kimpton Marlowe Hotel
25 Edwin Land Boulevard
Cambridge, MA 02141
Phone: 617-868-8000
Toll-free: 800-825-7140

Le Meridien Boston Cambridge
20 Sidney Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: 617-577-0200
Toll-free: 800-543-4300

Residence Inn Boston Cambridge*
6 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-494-1885
Toll-free: 800-331-3131

Royal Sonesta Boston
40 Edwin Land Boulevard
Cambridge, MA 02141
Phone: 617-806-4200

The Whitney Hotel
170 Charles Street
Boston, MA 02114
Toll-free: 888-673-3650

Transportation

Getting Here & Getting Around

Via public transportation

Boston’s public transportation system is the MBTA, known as “the T.”

  • Subway: From any terminal at Logan Airport, take the Silver Line bus to South Station. At South Station, change to the Red Line subway to Kendall/MIT (inbound toward Alewife). The ride should take about 30 minutes and is free.

  • Bus: The 64, 68, and 85 lines stop near the MIT Welcome Center. The #1 bus stops on Massachusetts Avenue, about a 15-minute walk from the Welcome Center.

  • Shuttle: The EZ Ride shuttle runs to and from Boston’s North Station, with stops at Kendall Square and around MIT’s campus (Note: EZRide is not operated by the MBTA; fare is $2 cash per trip).

From Logan Airport

  • Taxi or rideshare: Taxi fare from the airport is about $35–$40, and a rideshare service can range from about $20–$35. During non-rush hour, the ride will take about 15 minutes; during rush hour, it may take 30 minutes or more.

  • Subway: From any terminal at Logan Airport, take the Silver Line bus to South Station. At South Station, change to the Red Line subway to Kendall/MIT (inbound toward Alewife). The ride should take about 30 minutes.

Amtrak

  • South Station, Boston, is the closest train station. South Station is served by the MBTA Red Line, which connects to MIT at the MIT/Kendall stop.

Bluebikes

  • Bluebikes is the Boston area’s public bike share program. There are several stations around campus for renting or returning a bike. Visitors may purchase a day pass, which is valid for 24 hours.

Parking

  • Parking in Cambridge and Boston can be expensive and hard to find. Whenever possible, park where you’re staying and use public transportation or a taxi/rideshare service. If you must drive to the campus, on- and off-street parking is available for a fee, but most public parking is not very close to the center of campus. More parking information is available from Parkopedia.