Rhea Vedro

Rhea Vedro is the Metals Artist in Residence & Technical Instructor in the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She was recognized by her colleagues for her exceptional leadership skills and dedication to team building.

Name:
Rhea Vedro

Job Title:
Metals Artist in Residence & Technical Instructor

Department, Lab, or Center:
Merton C. Flemings Materials Processing Laboratory 4-006; MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering

How long have you worked at MIT:
Since late November 2022

What is your role and what are your responsibilities at MIT:
As an embedded Artist in Residence and Technical Instructor I teach undergraduate courses (upcoming 3.S04 Fine Metals: objects and power in fall 2023 and Introduction to Metalsmithing in spring 2024). I lead the hands-on fine metals teaching in the Merton C. Flemings Materials Processing Laboratory and support our team with undergraduate lab instruction and graduate student support.

What is your favorite part of your job:
I love working with students and helping them make an idea in their head to come to life 3-dimensionally in a metal object they make by hand. It’s exciting to see them find the visible manifestations of materials science concepts while metalsmithing. This semester a highlight was working with my colleagues Mike Tarkanian and James Hunter to recreate iron smelting techniques from Burkina Faso. We guided students in our 3.094 Materials and Human Experience class through making their own smelting furnace while learning about the origins and future of steel production.

Do you have any hobbies or interests:
I love my kids, time in my studio, gardening, capoeira, and the sea.