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Jeffrey Lang, the Vitesse Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), is the recipient of the 2026 Capers and Marion McDonald Award. The award is given annually to faculty members who have demonstrated a lasting commitment to the personal and professional development of others.

While conducting research with and leading students in the lab, Lang’s objectives emphasize the importance of comprehension, enjoyment, and autonomy.

“Among the objectives are first, to see that the students enjoy, and understand the impact of, the work they are pursuing; second, to allow students to follow their own path, make mistakes, and learn from them, while at the same time explaining why I think one path might be better than another; and third, to help set realistic goals and schedules that balance benefits to the thesis research against benefits to the deliverables expected by the sponsor,” he says.

Alongside his innovative research, Lang is an experienced professor who joined the MIT faculty in 1980. He has devoted himself to developing and teaching a wide range of classes in the areas of circuits and electromagnetics. He co-authored the now widely used course 6.002: Circuits and Electronics textbook, Foundations of Analog and Digital Electronic Circuits, with Professor Anant Agarwal, and created a graduate class on the control of electric machines in collaboration with Professor Geroge Verghese.

While teaching, Lang focuses on purpose and real-world applications.

“I try to explain what the plan and goal for each class is before digging in,” he says. “I also try to explain why the topic of the day is important, and what its impact and importance could be on and to practical applications. This tries to answer the question: ‘Why am I learning this?’ Then, as the class proceeds, I try to anticipate what the probable confusions could be and address them up front,” Lang says. “I also encourage questions and dialog. Finally, since I tend to teach physics-based subjects, I very much enjoy bringing demonstrations into class to make the subject of the day more real.”

Lang is a member of the MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) and the Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL), where his current research focuses on developing electromechanical devices for all power levels ranging from MW-scale machines to MEMS/NEMS actuators and sensors, some of which have demonstrated record power and/or torque densities. He has also worked to develop various MEMS sensors.

Lang received his SB, SM, and PhD in EECS from MIT. His doctoral thesis on electrostatically-shaped reflecting antennas was co-supervised by former professors James Melcher and David Staelin, whom he credits with making the greatest impact on him as a teacher and researcher.

“I learned from my primary research advisors how interesting, stimulating, challenging, rewarding, and just plain fun it could be to teach and carry out research at MIT,” Lang says. “Without their influence, I probably would not be here today.”

Having benefited from exceptional mentorship early in his career, Lang now embodies those same values as a veteran educator. Since joining the MIT faculty, Lang was appointed as the Electrical Engineering Graduate Admissions Chair in Fall 2012 and played an important role in the implementation of guaranteed support for all incoming students.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed collaborating on teaching and research with the many fine students, staff, and faculty on campus, and at other universities too,” he says. “In many ways, such collaborations are the best part of MIT because one can continue to learn from others all the time, and I do try.”