The College of Engineering proudly announces the arrival of 15 new faculty and staff members across six esteemed academic departments. Newly appointed and upcoming faculty members at MIT, set to start their tenure over the next year, are engaged in research across a broad range of academic disciplines.
Interdisciplinary studies at numerous colleges focus on areas where multiple disciplines converge. Across various colleges and departments within MIT, numerous faculty members hold positions in the College of Engineering, as well as at other institutes and centers across the university. College departments reporting to both the College of Engineering and the MIT Stephen A. Andrew Professor Schwarzman School of Computing. Within the past year, a novel initiative has been introduced, featuring joint appointments between the College of Engineering and the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, as well as the College of Science.
“I am thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our newest class of talented students at the College of Engineering,” declared Anantha Chandrakasan, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, Dean of Engineering, and Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I’m particularly impressed by the interdisciplinary approach that many of these new colleges adopt in their research. They are laboring in fields primed for significant impact. I look forward to watching them grow into accomplished researchers and educators.
The newly established engineering college embodies:
became an assistant professor within the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in September 2023. As a member of the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS), he is also affiliated with this esteemed organization. Bates leverages data-driven insights and artificial intelligence to inform reliable decision-making in complex, uncertain environments. He crafts innovative tools for statistical inference, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to analyze data influenced by strategic behaviors and scenarios involving distribution shifts. Bates also contributes expertise to functions in life sciences and sustainability initiatives. Prior to his current position, he held a postdoctoral research appointment in both the Statistics and Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences departments at the University of California, Berkeley. Bates earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics from Harvard University and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Stanford University.
Became a new assistant professor within the combined Division of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and Division of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences in January. Members of the League for Innovation in the Middle School (LIMS) Bodner’s research endeavors encompass a broad spectrum of topics, including local meteorology, physical oceanography, geophysical fluid mechanics, and turbulent flow phenomena. Prior to this appointment, she held the position of Simons Junior Fellow at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, located within New York University. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geophysics and Mathematics from Tel Aviv University, followed by a Master’s degree in Geophysics from the same institution. Her academic journey continued with a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and a Doctorate in Geophysics from Brown University.
In July, ’17 will join the Division of Aeronautics and Astronautics as an assistant professor. Her research converges at the nexus of robotics, computational human modeling, and deep learning methodologies. As a lead researcher at the Boston Dynamics AI Institute, she previously focused on deciphering how humans and machines could develop mutually intelligible frameworks for more streamlined and reliable collaborations. Bobu received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
He will join the Division of Supply Systems and Engineering, holding a joint appointment within the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), as an assistant professor in July. Researchers delve into the atomic-scale manipulation of digital components to overcome hurdles in energy efficiency, data storage, and innovation, ultimately striving for more environmentally friendly microelectronic solutions. This fusion of computing and bio-sciences occurs through the integration of intrinsic ferroelectric devices. Prior to his current role, he had served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. Cheema earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Applied Mathematics from Columbia University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Supply Chain Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Joins the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) as an assistant professor in July 2023. She might also be affiliated with the MIT Analysis Laboratory of Electronics. Her research focuses on developing high-energy density converters to facilitate the seamless integration of renewable power sources, advancing hybrid electric propulsion systems for aircraft and exploring innovative solutions for sustainable space exploration. To enable high-performance conversion for critical applications, her research prioritizes optimizing, designing, and managing hybrid switched-capacitor converters. Coday holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Southern Methodist University, as well as a Master’s and Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Will join the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) as an assistant professor in July. As a prominent researcher, he might also hold a position within the esteemed MIT Laptop Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Gordon crafts innovative methods for bridging the gap between human-machine interaction and machine learning’s practical applications. The researcher currently holds a postdoctoral position at the University of Washington. Gordon earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester and Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Stanford University, all in computer science.
Became a full-time affiliate professor within the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) in February. As a professional affiliation, he may also be a member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). His research explores a range of topics in computer vision and deep learning. He is currently focused on designing laptop models capable of learning representations and developing intelligence for the evolving global landscape. Ultimately, his ambition is to augment human cognition by developing more sophisticated artificial intelligence. Before joining MIT, he was a research scientist at Facebook AI. He received both a Bachelor’s degree (BS) from Tsinghua University and a Doctoral degree (PhD) from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Starting in September, SM ’08 will join the faculties of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science (EECS) and Music and Theater Arts as an assistant professor. She will help design a graduate program focused on music technology. Prior to her current role, she had a distinguished eight-year tenure at Google Mind and DeepMind, where she championed initiatives in generative modeling, reinforcement learning, and human-computer interaction to foster seamless collaborations between humans and AI in the realm of music creation. The co-creator of Music Transformer and Coconet, responsible for powering the iconic Google Doodle celebrating the life of Johann Sebastian Bach. She served as a decisive and meticulous coordinator for the AI Tune Contest. Anna holds the Canada CIFAR AI Chair at Mila; she also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition and a Bachelor’s degree in Laptop Science from the University of Southern California. Furthermore, she has earned a Master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab and a Doctorate from Harvard College.
A renowned expert in the field, PhD ’06 will join the esteemed Division of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) as a professor in September. As a valued individual, she has the opportunity to join the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Her research focuses on cryptography, computational theory, and privacy and security. Kalai’s primary focus lies in bridging the theoretical and practical applications of cryptography, as well as advancing succinct, verifiable non-interactive proof systems. Her academic journey has seen her earn a bachelor’s degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a master’s from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and a PhD from MIT.
Will join the departments of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Economics as an associate professor in July. His research leverages machine learning to tackle complex challenges in human behavior, social policy, and healthcare. Prior to joining Harvard University’s faculty in 2004, Mullainathan had spent five years at MIT, before moving on to the University of Chicago in 2018. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science, mathematics, and economics from Cornell University and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Harvard University.
As a new faculty member, I will be joining the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at the University of California, Berkeley, in September, with a concurrent affiliation at the prestigious Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. Rives’ analysis focuses on harnessing the potential of AI to advance scientific understanding, accelerate discovery, and optimize design in the field of biology. As a New York University graduate student, Rives collaborated with Meta to establish and lead the Evolutionary Scale Modeling team, which pioneered the development of massive language models for proteins. Rives earned a Bachelor of Science degree in both Philosophy and Biology from Yale University and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Computer Science at New York University.
I will join the Division of Chemical Engineering as an Assistant Professor in July. His research endeavors incorporate management principles, optimisation methodologies, high-performance computational frameworks, and their applications in informing strategic decision-making within cutting-edge technological ecosystems. Shin is a postdoctoral researcher in the Arithmetic and Computer Science Department at Argonne National Laboratory. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in both arithmetic and chemical engineering from Seoul National University, and later obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Assumed a role as Assistant Professor within the Division of Organic Engineering in January. Stark’s research focuses on harnessing the previously underexplored power of cell-surface glycans to drive innovative immunological discoveries and effective immunotherapies. Prior to his appointment as a postdoctoral fellow with the American Cancer Society at Stanford University. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Cornell University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.
Assumed a position as an assistant professor within the Division of Supply Systems and Engineering in January. As a renowned researcher, Wallin’s work focuses intensively on the development of cutting-edge manufacturing techniques for creating innovative, wearables-based solutions that seamlessly integrate with human-computer interfaces, prioritizing comfort and user experience. Prior to this role, he worked as an analytics scientist at Meta’s Reality Labs Research, focusing on the haptic interaction team. Wallin received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and chemistry from the College of William & Mary, and later earned both his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in supply systems science and engineering from Cornell University.
Assumed the role of assistant professor within the Division of Civil and Environmental Engineering in September. As a member of both LIDS and the Institute for Knowledge, Programs, and Society, he may hold significant roles in these organizations. Driven by pressing societal imperatives, Zardini’s work embodies the synergy between technological innovations and societal needs, harnessing concepts such as co-design, compositionality, utilization, resolution, management, optimization, and sport theory to advance intelligent transportation systems, autonomous vehicles, and sophisticated networks and infrastructure, ultimately serving society-critical functions. Obtaining a BS, MS, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich, he specialized in robotics, techniques, and management. He also spent time at MIT, Stanford University, and Motional.
