Featured Articles Spring 2023
From the MIT Office of Gift Planning
Leaping at a Quantum Opportunity
An IRA gift makes new research paths possible
Professor William Oliver is working toward building reliable, compact quantum computers. A Faculty Research Innovation Fund grant, supported by Professor Emeritus Richard Thornton SM ’54, ScD ’57 using funds from his IRA, has made it possible for Oliver to pursue a new research direction.
Fellowships and Sustainability, in the Same Boat
James Ellis II SM ’80 and Margaret Brady
Jim Ellis and his family see a clear connection between supporting education and solving the world’s most pressing problems. One way they show their support is through a bequest to MIT that will contribute to the Sloan Sustainability Initiative and graduate fellowships through the Sloan Veterans Fund.
The Language of Active Learning
Bequests support the mission of the MIT-Haiti Initiative
The MIT-Haiti Initiative promotes technology-enhanced active learning and the use of students’ native language, Kreyòl, in the classroom. Supporters of the initiative include Jeffrey Toney, MIT visiting professor in linguistics and philosophy, whose support includes a bequest intention. A Kreyòl translation is included on this page.
Q&A: What Open Learning Means at MIT
W. Eric L. Grimson PhD ’80, Chancellor for Academic Advancement and Interim Vice President for Open Learning
Eric Grimson has taught thousands of students since becoming an MIT faculty member in 1984 and now oversees MIT Open Learning, one of MIT’s signature educational initiatives. He talked with the Office of Gift Planning about what differentiates remote learning at MIT and how philanthropy plays a role.