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.

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

  • Friday, May 1, 2026
  • Samberg Conference Center – Building E52
  • 50 Memorial Drive
  • Cambridge, MA

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 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
LocationSamberg Conference Center
Building E52
50 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA

Sessions

The event’s sessions will include:

  1. How the Brain Creates: Understanding and Modeling Creativity
  2. Interdisciplinarity in Creative Problem Solving
  3. Educating for Outside-the-Box Problem Solving

Agenda

A full agenda and speaker list will be posted when available.

  • 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 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 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

A great place to start your visit is at the MIT Welcome Center, located at 292 Main Street, Cambridge. Parking can be tough here! We recommend public transportation or a taxi/rideshare service (such as Uber or Lyft) to campus.

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.