Report to the President for year ended June 30, 2026, School of Science
Name
SoS-annualreport-2026.pdf.pdf
Size
184.72 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
9482d84bfba56226a30d175f80c6c9ce
Author(s)
Mavalvala, Nergis
Date Issued
June 30, 2026
Abstract
In September, MIT announced it was lending its support to the Giant Magellan Telescope, joining the international consortium to advance the $2.6 billion observatory in Chile. The Institute's participation, enabled by a transformational gift from philanthropists Phillip (Terry) Ragon '72 and Susan Ragon, adds to the momentum to construct the Giant Magellan Telescope, whose 25.4-meter aperture will have five times the light-collecting area and up to 200 times the power of existing observatories. MIT is the 16th member of the international consortium advancing the Giant Magellan Telescope and the 10th participant based in the United States. Together, the consortium has invested $1 billion in the observatory-the largest-ever private investment in ground-based astronomy. MIT's involvement will strengthen the Giant Magellan Telescope's unique capabilities in high-resolution spectroscopy, adaptive optics, and the search for life beyond Earth. It also deepens a long-standing scientific relationship: MIT is already a partner in the existing twin Magellan Telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile-one of the most scientifically valuable observing sites on Earth, and the same site where the Giant Magellan Telescope is now under construction. In November, Professor Danna Freedman, the Frederick George Keyes Professor of Chemistry, was named faculty director of the MIT Quantum Initiative, or QMIT. In this new role, Freedman is giving shape to an ambitious, Institute-wide effort to apply quantum breakthroughs to the most consequential challenges in science, technology, industry, and national security. The interdisciplinary endeavor, the newest of MIT President Sally Kornbluth's strategic initiatives, will bring together MIT researchers and domain experts from a range of industries to identify and tackle practical challenges wherever quantum solutions could achieve the greatest impact. In June, MIT was named the world's top university by the QS World University Rankings. This is the 15th year in a row MIT has received this distinction. MIT was also ranked the world's top university in 12 of the subject areas ranked by QS, as announced in March of this year. The Institute received a No. 1 ranking in the following QS subject areas: Chemical Engineering; Civil
Description
This report contains the following sections: Office of Community Engagement, Open Learning, Education Awards, Research, Fundraising and Philanthropy, Awards and Honors, Personnel, and In Memoriam.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. School of Science
Terms of Use
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Persistent DSpace Link
