Podcasts

Christopher Palmer is an Associate Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is also a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and an Affiliate with the Jameel Poverty Action Lab, based here at MIT. He studies consumer credit, and household financial decision making. In this episode, President Kornbluth and Palmer discuss household financial decision making around mortgages, car loans, and how best to save for retirement.

Brent Minchew is an Associate Professor of Geophysics in the department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at MIT. He studies the behavior of glaciers in response to environmental factors and is dedicated to understanding sea level rise and exploring viable interventions to stabilize ice sheets. In this episode, President Kornbluth and Brent discuss glacier-related sea-level rise and potential mitigation solutions.

Stefanie Mueller is an associate professor with a joint appointment in MIT's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering departments. Her work is focused on developing novel hardware and software systems that advance personal fabrication technologies. In this episode President Kornbluth talks with Mueller about the future of customizable 3D printing, what it could mean to manufacturing and sustainability, and how to make it accessible to everyone.

Andres Sevtsuk is an associate professor of Urban Science and Planning at MIT. His work focuses on the influence of urban design on sustainable travel behavior and quality of life, and contributes to making cities more walkable, sustainable and equitable. In this episode President Kornbluth talks with Sevtsuk about the complex forces that shape our cities and the effects of urban planning on sustainable mobility and quality of life for city residents.

Ariel White is an associate professor of Political Science at MIT where she studies voting and voting rights. Her recent work investigates how potential voters react to being affected by punitive government policies, such as incarceration, and how people can make their way back onto the voting registries after these experiences. In this episode, Ariel speaks with President Kornbluth about what is actually known immediately following an election, the challenges of exit polls, and what efforts work in getting people to vote.

Giovanni Traverso is an associate professor in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering and a gastroenterologist at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. His work focuses on innovative methods for drug delivery, diagnostics, and biological sensing.

In this episode, President Kornbluth speaks with Traverso about tackling the core challenges of taking medication, the unique perspective that comes with being both a professor and a practicing gastroenterologist, and the importance of entrepreneurship.

Benedetto Marelli is a biomedical engineer by training and a materials scientist. He is an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His work is focused on using biomaterials-based innovation to improve agricultural methods, food security, and food safety. In this episode, President Kornbluth speaks with Marelli about the advantages of using silk-based coatings in agriculture and water filtration, and why being bold and creative can lead to powerful discoveries.

Namrata Kala is an associate professor in applied economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management. She studies the value of employee training and incentives, how communities adapt to environmental change and regulation, and the returns on environmental technology investment. 

Here, Namrata speaks with MIT President Sally Kornbluth about the importance of soft skills training, and the benefits of being a straight shooter.

Skylar Tibbits is a designer and computer scientist whose research focuses on self-assembling and programmable materials, and 3D and 4D printing. He is the founder of the MIT Self-Assembly Lab and director of undergraduate design programs in the Department of Architecture.

In this episode,  MIT President Sally Kornbluth talks with Tibbits about the inspiration for his lab’s projects, why design at MIT is unique, and the magic in combining the creative with the technical.

Ellen Roche is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and the associate head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Her research team develops new devices and therapeutic strategies for repairing the heart and other tissues. Here, she speaks with MIT President Sally Kornbluth about her work, the advantages of taking a nonlinear route to one’s chosen career, and the importance of saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities.