Dear members of the MIT community and friends,

We are living through extraordinary times. The world has changed, and it will take our collective efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19. Together we are stronger, and the actions that we take today will help to determine our future.

I’ve never been prouder to be a part of MIT. Not only is our entire community stepping up and uniting in remarkable ways, but faculty and researchers from across the School have ramped up efforts to directly combat this virus. We are donating personal protective equipment to local hospitals and healthcare centers, developing rapid testing kits, producing inexpensive ventilators, leveraging AI for early infection diagnostics, developing systems to quickly produce masks, designing robots and sensors that can rapidly take vital signs in the emergency room, investigating ways to minimize risk to healthcare workers—we are tackling this pandemic in every conceivable way.

The impact of our community’s response is evidenced through some of the content I’m sharing with you in this special issue of The Infinite. You’ll read about some of the research focused on detecting and preventing Covid-19; get a glimpse into our supply chain network; learn about some of the risks associated with 3D printing personal protective equipment; discover a concept from course 2.75 that lead to work on a low-cost ventilator; and gain insight from some of our alumni/ae on how to navigate social distancing and feelings of isolation. I’m also including a moment captured outside our windows in Building 1 shortly before we de-densified campus: an impromptu glimpse into the world of the Air Force ROTC program by one of our AeroAstro students. It stands as a wonderful reminder of the importance of working together to serve a greater purpose.

I wish you good health during this difficult time. On behalf of the MIT School of Engineering community, I thank you for your support, outreach, and efforts during this time.

Sincerely,