Dear members of the MIT community and friends,

As we’ve navigated the complexities and uncertainties of the current pandemic, I have taken pride in witnessing how our students have persevered amidst so many challenges. From pivoting their research and studies to address the Covid-19 crisis, to conducting final projects and delivering dissertations virtually – their creativity, innovation, and adaptability has been truly inspiring.

On the heels of MIT’s virtual commencement celebration, I want to take this moment to applaud our students for their achievements big and small. From the first day they became part of the MIT family, our students embraced a shared mission to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. Now more than ever, we need them to make the world a better place – and I’m confident that they will. 

This issue of The Infinite shines a light on some of our remarkable School of Engineering students through stories such as that of Junli Hao, who is applying her doctoral research to support first responders, Tarun Kamath, who is pursuing research in neurodegenerative disease biology while helping his peers to destress, and Pablo Decru, who is addressing climate change as an entrepreneur. You’ll also meet some of our seniors, who fondly recall their last moment together on campus, and a new MIT graduate who reflects upon the surprising benefits of defending her thesis virtually. In the media we highlight Comusica, the unique music experience unveiled at MIT’s virtual commencement, and an example of an incredible cross-disciplinary effort involving students, faculty, staff, and our alumni community.

These are but some of the many stories of how our students turned challenges into opportunities. They are pioneers; they are thought leaders; they are inventors – and they are MIT. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Sincerely,