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Writing & Speeches

  • Letter to the Community

    Letter to faculty

    Dear colleagues,

    I write because the Boston Globe posted an online article this morning that may raise some questions in your minds, and I want you to know that I’m available to answer them.

    The story revisits a case that occurred 15 years ago, when I…

  • Letter to the Community

    Danna Freedman to lead Quantum@MIT

    Dear colleagues,

    As I wrote to you last fall, one of my chief goals is to magnify MIT’s positive impact by making it easier for researchers in key areas to “go big”: to pursue their most innovative ideas in their discipline, to collaborate with others…

  • Letter to the Community

    Deeply troubling campus incident

    Dear members of the MIT community,

    Though I regret having to interrupt what for many is a summer break, I must let you know about extremely troubling actions over the weekend.

    On Sunday, the Stata Center was vandalized with spray-painted messages…

  • Letter to the Community

    Worth fighting for: MIT and American science, innovation and education

    Dear MIT graduates and friends,

    In a letter last fall, I offered fresh evidence of how MIT continues to live out its mission and values, with direct benefits to the American people. In April, I sought your help in convincing Congress that …

  • Speech

    Naming Celebration for the L. Rafael Reif Innovation Corridor

    Wow!  A rhumba!  Rafael, as I’m sure you realize, this is one of the wildly unfair advantages of hailing from Venezuela – versus, say, New Jersey.

    So, huge appreciation to the incomparable John Harbison for composing the “Rhumba for Rafael” for his…

  • Letter to the Community

    Anantha Chandrakasan named MIT provost

    Dear members of the MIT community,

    I’m delighted to share the news that Anantha Chandrakasan – chief innovation and strategy officer, dean of engineering and longtime member of the faculty – has agreed to serve as MIT’s next provost. He’ll begin in the role…

  • Letter to the Community

    Rejecting antisemitism and targeting

    Dear members of the MIT community,

    In my time as president, I have been very clear that protecting freedom of expression is deeply important to the intellectual health and vitality of MIT. I have also been clear that we absolutely reject…

  • Letter to the Community

    Support for lawsuit defending scientific research

    Dear members of the MIT community,

    Recently, Harvard University filed suit to block a federal action to eliminate all grant funding it receives from the US government.

    This afternoon, we joined a broad group of US research universities in filing this…

  • Speech

    One MIT ceremony – Charge to the graduates

    Teddy, and Megha ­– thank you both. 

    Good afternoon, everyone! Governor Healey. The members of the Class of 1975, in their incredibly fashionable red jackets! And of course, all the members of the Class of 2025 – and your devoted family and friends!

  • Letter to the Community

    Launching the MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing

    Dear members of the MIT community,

    From the start of my time here, I’ve focused on helping the people of MIT find new ways to do big things together, accelerating our progress and increasing our impact through a suite of presidential initiatives.