List of institute professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The title of Institute professor is an honor bestowed by the Faculty and Administration of MIT on a faculty colleague who has demonstrated exceptional distinction by a combination of leadership, accomplishment, and service in the scholarly, educational, and general intellectual life of the Institute or wider academic community.[ 1]
— MIT Policies and Procedures: Special Professorial Appointments, Institute Professor
Institute professor is the highest title that can be awarded to a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts , United States . It is analogous to the titles of distinguished professor , university professor , or regents professor used at other universities in recognition of a professor's extraordinary research achievements and dedication to the school. At MIT, institute professors are granted a unique level of freedom and flexibility to pursue their research and teaching interests without regular departmental or school responsibilities; they report only to the provost .[ 1] Usually no more than twelve professors hold this distinction at any one time.[ 1]
Institute professors are initially nominated by leaders representing either a department or school. The chair of the faculty then consults with the Academic Council and jointly appoints with the president an ad-hoc committee from various departments and non-MIT members to evaluate the qualifications and make a documented recommendation to the president. The final determination is made based upon recommendations from professionals in the nominee's field. The case is then reviewed again by the Academic Council and approved by the executive committee of the MIT Corporation.[ 1] The position was created by President James R. Killian in 1951, and John C. Slater was the first to hold the title.[ 2]
List of institute professors
Current
Emeritus
Deceased
Name
Department
Elected
Notability
Reference
Mildred S. Dresselhaus
Physics & Electrical Engineering
1985
Carbon nanotubes ; National Medal of Science (1990)
[ 23]
Murray Eden
Electrical Engineering
1959–1994
Biomedical Engineering and Instrumentation Program directors award
[ 24] [ 25]
Manson Benedict
Nuclear Engineering
1969
National Medal of Science (1975)
[ 26]
Joel Moses
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
1999
Algebraic manipulation algorithms and MACSYMA ; Provost of MIT (1995–1998); Dean of Engineering (1991–1995)
[ 27]
Norbert Wiener
Mathematics
1959
National Medal of Science (1964)
[ 28]
Gordon S. Brown
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
1973
Automatic feedback-control systems and computer numerical control ; Dean of Engineering (1959–1968)
[ 29]
Martin Julian Buerger
Mineralogy
1956
Crystallography
[ 30]
Morris Cohen
Material Science and Engineering
1974
Metallurgy of steel
[ 31]
Charles S. Draper
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
1966
Inertial guidance and gyro gunsight ; founder of the Instrumentation Laboratory
[ 32]
Harold Eugene "Doc" Edgerton
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
1966
High-speed photography ; Co-founder of EG&G ; National Medal of Science (1973)
[ 33]
Herman Feshbach
Physics
1983
Nuclear reaction theory; National Medal of Science (1986)
[ 34]
Edwin R. Gilliland
Chemical Engineering
1971
Fractional distillation columns and fluidized catalytic cracking ; President's Science Advisory Committee (1961–1965)
[ 35]
Hermann Anton Haus
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
1986
Optical communications ; National Medal of Science (1995)
[ 36]
Arthur von Hippel
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
1962
Dielectric materials
[ 37]
Arthur Thomas Ippen
Civil Engineering
1970
Hydraulic engineering and water resources
[ 38]
Roman O. Jakobson
Linguistics and Philosophy
Expert on Russian formalism , Slavic studies and linguistics
[ 39]
György Kepes
Architecture
1970
Founded the Center for Advanced Visual Studies ; Bauhaus contributor; Hungarian Medal of Honor and Middle Cross (1996)
[ 40]
Norman Levinson
Mathematics
1971
Non-linear differential equations , mathematical analysis , and analytic number theory ; testified at 1953 House Un-American Activities Committee
[ 41] [ 42]
Francis E. Low
Physics
Condensed matter physics ; Provost of MIT (1980–1985)
[ 43]
Franco Modigliani
Economics & Management
1970
Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (1985)
[ 44]
Mario Molina
Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Sciences
1997
Stratospheric ozone chemistry ; Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1995)
[ 10]
Philip Morrison
Physics
1973
Theoretical astrophysics
[ 45]
Walle J. H. Nauta
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
1973
Nauta Silver Impregnation Method used to trace degenerating nerve fibers
[ 46]
Walter A. Rosenblith
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
1975
Psychoacoustics ; elected to all three United States National academies ; Provost of MIT (1971–1980)
[ 47]
Bruno Rossi
Physics
1966
X-ray astronomy and discovery of cosmic rays ; Wolf Prize (1987) and National Medal of Science (1983)
[ 48]
Paul Samuelson
Economics
1966
National Medal of Science (1996), Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (1970), and John Bates Clark Medal (1947)
[ 49]
Francis O. Schmitt
Biology
1955
Biological electron microscopy
[ 50]
Nevin S. Scrimshaw
Nutrition and Food Science
1980
Eliminating nutritional deficiency ; World Food Prize (1991)
[ 51]
Ascher H. Shapiro
Mechanical Engineering
1975
Fluid mechanics and biomedical engineering
[ 52]
Isadore Singer
Mathematics
1987
Atiyah–Singer index theorem ; Abel Prize (2004)
[ 53]
John C. Slater
Physics
1951
Quantum theory and electromagnetic theory of microwaves ; advisor to William Shockley
[ 54]
Cyril S. Smith
Materials Science & Humanities
Metallurgy , crystallography , and metallography of archaeological artifacts
[ 55]
Carl R. Soderberg
Mechanical Engineering
1959
Steam turbine electric generators ; Dean of Engineering (1954–1959); consultant on the J-57 turbojet
[ 56]
Charles H. Townes
Physics
1961
Quantum Electronics and Maser ; National Medal of Science (1982) and Nobel Prize in Physics (1964)
[ 57]
Daniel I.C. Wang
Chemical Engineering
1995
Biochemical process engineering
[ 11]
John S. Waugh
Chemistry
Computational studies of spin systems
[ 58]
Victor Weisskopf
Physics
1965
Co-founder of the Union of Concerned Scientists ; Wolf Prize (1981) and National Medal of Science (1980)
[ 41]
Jerome Wiesner
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
1980
Chairman of the President's Science Advisory Committee (1961–1964); Dean of Science (1964–1966); Provost of MIT (1966–1971); President of MIT (1971–1980)
[ 59]
Jerrold R. Zacharias
Nuclear Science and Engineering
1966
Atomic beams and clocks ; microwave radar ; educational reform
[ 60]
Chia-Chiao Lin
Mathematics
1966
Fluid mechanics
[ 41] [ 61]
Morris Halle
Linguistics and Philosophy
1981
Phonology ; Author of The Sound Pattern of English
[ 62]
Robert M. Solow
Economics
1973
National Medal of Science (1999), Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (1987), and John Bates Clark Medal (1961)
[ 63]
References
^ a b c d "MIT Policies and Procedures: Special Professorial Appointments, Institute Professor" . Retrieved 2007-03-24 .
^ "Slater Takes New Post as Roving Physics Professor" (PDF) . The Tech . September 18, 1951. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ Dizikes, Peter (July 10, 2019). "Daron Acemoglu named Institute Professor" . news.mit.edu . MIT News Office. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019.
^ "Suzanne Berger named inaugural John M. Deutch Institute Professor" . MIT News Office. July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-18 .
^ a b "Paula Hammond and Arup Chakraborty named Institute Professors" . MIT News Office. May 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-10 .
^ a b c "Chisholm, Rivest, and Thompson appointed as new Institute Professors" . Retrieved 2015-06-29 .
^ "Ann Graybiel named institute professor" . MIT News Office. November 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-04 .
^ "MIT's Ann Graybiel awarded national medal of science" . Retrieved 2008-03-04 .
^ Elizabeth A. Thomson (March 2, 2005). "Bob Langer named an Institute Professor" . MIT News Office. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ a b c "Diamond, Magnanti and Molina are Institute Professors" . MIT News Office. June 4, 1997. Retrieved 2007-03-24 .
^ a b c "Baltimore, Harbison, Wang elevated to ranks of Institute Professors" . MIT News Office. June 7, 1995. Archived from the original on 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2007-03-24 .
^ Elizabeth A. Thomson (June 5, 2002). "Bizzi is named an Institute Professor" . MIT News Office. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ "Chomsky Is Citation Champ" . MIT News Office. April 15, 1992. Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^
"According to a recent survey by the Institute for Scientific Information, only Marx, Lenin, Shakespeare, Aristotle, the Bible, Plato, and Freud are cited more often in academic journals than Chomsky, who edges out Hegel and Cicero." Samuel Hughes, The Pennsylvania Gazette Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine , July/August, 2001
^ "Chomsky Named Killian Lecturer" . May 22, 1991. Archived from the original on 2004-11-25. Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ "John M. Deutch Biography" . Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ "Deutch named Institute professor" . December 7, 1990. Retrieved 2007-04-04 .
^ "Friedman Named Institute Professor" . MIT News Office. May 29, 1991. Archived from the original on 2004-05-11. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ "Barbara Liskov named Institute Professor" . Retrieved 2008-07-01 .
^ "MIT Sloan Faculty webpage" . Archived from the original on 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ "Sharp named an Institute Professor" . MIT News Office. March 10, 1999. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ "Former Secretary of Air Force named Institute Professor by MIT" . MIT News Office. December 1, 1998. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ "MIT Physics Faculty" . Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ Longtime Engineering Authority Eden Mourned , at NIH record , October 2, 2020
^ Casanova, Stephanie (2020-08-18). "Murray Eden, a biomedical engineer with a love of singing, dies in Tucson at 99" . Arizona Daily Star . Retrieved 2021-01-04 .
^ "Manson Benedict, 98, chemist on Manhattan Project, dies" . September 27, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-04 .
^ "Joel Moses, Institute Professor Emeritus and computer science trailblazer, dies at 80" . MIT News Office. May 31, 2022. Retrieved 2023-11-23 .
^ "Guide to the Papers of Norbert Wiener, dies at 69" . March 18, 1964. Retrieved 2014-11-06 .
^ "Gordon Brown, pioneer electrical engineer, educator at MIT, dies at 88" . MIT News Office. August 26, 1996. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ Azaroff, L. V. J. Appl. Crystallogr. (1986) 19 , 205-207.
^ Sarah H. Wright (May 31, 2005). "Institute Professor Morris Cohen dies" . MIT News Office. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ "Dr. Draper & His Lab" . Draper Labs. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ "MIT Loses a Colorful, Beloved Professor" . January 10, 1990. Archived from the original on 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-04-04 .
^ "Renowned nuclear physicist Feshbach, Institute Professor emeritus, dies at 83" . MIT News Office. January 10, 2001. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ P.L. Thibaut Brian. "Memorial Tributes: National Academy of Engineering, Volume 1 (1979)" . National Academies Press. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ "Institute Professor Hermann Haus, quantum optics pioneer, dies at 77" . MIT News Office. June 4, 2003. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ "Institute Prof. von Hippel dies at 105; was leader in materials research" . MIT News Office. January 14, 2004. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ Hunter Rouse. "Memorial Tributes: National Academy of Engineering, Volume 1 (1979)" . National Academies Press. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ Parpulova, Lyubomira D.; Gribble, Charles E.; Bailey, James O. (1984). "Obituary: Roman Jackobson (1896–1982)". Journal of American Folklore . 97 (383): 57– 60. JSTOR 540396 .
^ "Gyorgy Kepes, founder of CAVS, dies at 95" . MIT News Office. January 16, 2002. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ a b c "3 Institute Profs Selected" (PDF) . September 21, 1973. Retrieved 2007-04-04 .
^ "Levinson biography" . School of Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews, Scotland. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ "Physicist Francis E. Low, former MIT provost, dies at 85" . MIT News Office. February 20, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ "Nobel laureate Franco Modigliani dies at 85" . September 25, 2003. Retrieved 2007-04-04 .
^ "Institute Professor Philip Morrison dies at 89" . MIT News Office. April 25, 2005. Retrieved 2007-03-07 .
^ "Institute Professor Walle J.H. Nauta dies" . MIT News Office. March 30, 1994. Retrieved 2007-03-24 .
^ "Retired MIT Professor Rosenblith dies at 88; Pioneered use of computers to study brain" . MIT News Office. May 3, 2002. Retrieved 2007-03-23 .
^ "Dec. 15 memorial planned for Bruno Rossi" . MIT News Office. December 1, 1993. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ "Economist Paul Samuelson of MIT to Receive National Medal of Science" . June 11, 1996. Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ "Institute Professor Francis O. Schmitt dies at 91" . MIT News Office. October 4, 1995. Retrieved 2007-03-24 .
^ "Scrimshaw to Receive Food Prize" . August 28, 1991. Archived from the original on September 11, 2004. Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ "Bruno B. Rossi" . MIT The Tech. November 23, 1993. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ "MIT biography on Singer" . Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ "John C. Slater papers" (PDF) . American Philosophical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ "Cyril Stanley Smith Dies at 88" . September 2, 1992. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ Ascher H. Shapiro. "Carl Richard Soderberg (1895–1979)" . National Academies Press. Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ "Nobelist and former Institute Professor to speak at MIT" . MIT News Office. April 11, 2001. Retrieved 2007-03-24 .
^ "MIT Chemistry faculty webpage" . Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ "President emeritus Jerome Wiesner is dead at 79" . October 26, 2004. Retrieved 2007-04-04 .
^ Norman F. Ramsey. "Jerrold R. Zacharias (1905–1896)" . Retrieved 2007-04-22 .
^ "MIT Facts 2007: Faculty" . Retrieved 2007-04-04 .
^ "MIT Department of Linguistics faculty homepage" . Retrieved 2007-03-26 .
^ "Students Persuade Solow to Teach One Last Course" . November 7, 1995. Retrieved 2007-04-04 .
External links