Dear members of the MIT community,
It has been a remarkable few weeks since our official announcement of the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing — the most profound restructuring of the Institute since the early 1950s. As MIT President Rafael Reif told the community: we are positioning the Institute to thrive for decades to come. “This new college is our strategic response to a global phenomenon – the ubiquity of computing and the rise of AI,” he announced.
Provost Martin A. Schmidt, Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart, and I have engaged with students, faculty, and staff at packed forums to gather thoughtful input that will inform the structure of the new college. Additionally, I was thrilled that over 1,000 alumni from around the world registered for two webcasts featuring Q&A about the college with Executive Vice President and Treasurer Israel Ruiz, Vice President for Communications Nate Nickerson, and myself.
Our articles and video this month capture the high enthusiasm across the Institute about the rise of computing and the new college:
- Faculty leadership from the School of Engineering offer their keen observations and specific aspirations for the college.
- Students describe how computing is helping them make an impact in diverse areas, such as creativity, health care, mapping the seafloor, and fueling economic growth in East Africa.
- We take a look back at Project Athena, a bold project from the 1970s that brought the power of distributed computing to campus. Its echoes are still being heard today.
I welcome your feedback about the new college. Think of it as a vital connector that advances computing and links it to other fields. It will act as a bridge to all five schools and draw together faculty, students, staff, and resources. My question to you for next month: “What one piece of advice do you have to help MIT maximize the global impact of the college?”
Sincerely,
