Editorial
The Silbey Report: Independence, Transparency, and a Path Forward for the Faculty Newsletter (FNL)
At the May 2024 Institute Faculty Meeting, a motion was passed to convene an ad hoc committee charged with reviewing and revising the policies and procedures of the MIT Faculty Newsletter (FNL) and clarifying its relationship to the faculty as a whole.
How US Universities Can Survive State Terrorism*
As a professor at MIT, I find myself navigating strange waters these days.
Faculty Travelogue
Reflections on an Encounter Outside Wichita, Kansas
Around twenty years ago my wife and I took our children to visit her brother and his family in Wichita, Kansas.
Why There Were No Faculty Newsletter Editorial Board Elections Last Spring
Some of you may be wondering why the Faculty Newsletter Editorial Board elections didn’t happen this May.
MIT Runs on Engineers (and Worry)
It’s mid-August at MIT, and nothing is flat — not the skyline, not the sidewalks, not even the downhill. Everything tilts into motion.
Introducing OACES
In August 2025, we were pleased to announce the arrival of OACES (pronounced “oasis”), or the Office of Academic Community, Empowerment, and Success.
Are Ad Hominem Attacks Legitimate Academic Freedom?*
The Latin phrase ad hominem meaning to the person describes approaches to argumentation, debate, discourse, and politics, that consist of personal attacks against the opposing speaker, rather than presenting arguments or evidence relevant to the topic under discussion.
Reply to Prof. Hutchinson on Arguing Ad Hominem
Professor Hutchinson claims that the authors of the open letter to Professor Alex Byrne[1] commit the logical fallacy of arguing ad hominem.
J-WAFS: From an Idea to a Program
In 2005, I began reading about water scarcity around the world. The problem was widespread, extreme, and growing.
