MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

09/04/2026

SHASS' 75th Anniversary Symposium is a two-day celebration being held September 24-25 in the Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building's Thomas Tull Concert Hall. Join us to honor 75 years of producing exceptional students, scholars, and impact.

In the Computing, Self, and Society session, panelists will examine critical questions about how computing has transformed society, the economic, political, and ethical consequences of AI, and more.

Explore all of the Symposium programming and activities and register for each session you'd like to attend here: https://luma.com/shass75.

09/04/2026

MIT | Program in Science, Technology, and Society and MIT Department of Physics professor David Kaiser, writing for Undark Magazine, reports on how new regulations placed on student visas are a detriment to America’s national competitiveness.

"For decades, the U.S. has prospered from a 'brain gain,'” Kaiser offers, “attracting talented students from around the world.”

Opinion | A recent federal rule change will soon place a strict limit on how long international students can study in the U.S.

09/04/2026

MIT Anthropology professor and section head Chris Walley developed a project for people in Southeast Chicago to tell their histories — an approach any community can adopt.

“What is meaningful to us about the things we save from the past?" Walley asks. "Might these items be ‘clues’ that take us on a deeper historical journey?” Southeast Chicago Historical Society

The Southeast Chicago Archive and Storytelling Project, co-directed by MIT anthropologist Christine Walley, is an online repository of objects and images about the area’s former steel mills, labor history, and local community.

09/03/2026

MIT Economics professor Nancy Rose spoke with The New York Times about federal courts’ reluctance to impose harsh sanctions on tech companies facing antitrust violations. “I’m worried that we may be exactly where we would have been had none of these suits been brought,” Rose says.

After finding antitrust violations, federal courts have been reluctant to impose harsh sanctions. They fear meddling in markets where technology is racing ahead.

09/03/2026

MIT Political Science professor Charles Stewart spoke with Newsweek about reports that federal agents are being tasked with scouring voter rolls for ineligible voters ahead of midterm elections. "If the reporting is correct, this is shocking, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see states running to the local courthouses to try and stop this," Stewart says. https://www.newsweek.com/trump-dhs-hunts-noncitizen-voters-six-high-profile-cases-12397347 MIT Election Data and Science Lab

The president has long claimed that there are widespread cases of immigrants voting in federal elections, despite what data shows.

09/03/2026

SHASS has welcomed six new faculty to the School. Today we're introducing MIT Economics alumna Lindsey Raymond PhD '24, an assistant professor in the Department of Economics with a shared appointment in MIT EECS Department. MIT Schwarzman College of Computing MIT Alumni Association

09/03/2026

Stanley Anderson ‘79, who double majored in MIT EECS Department and humanities, operates a pickleball high-performance paddle design business.

“Pickleball is booming. It’s everywhere,” he says.

https://alum.mit.edu/slice/taking-swing-pickleball-startup

MIT Alumni Association

09/02/2026

If you're a SHASS educator with a big idea about how to solve for some of the world's pressing challenges, apply for funding from the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC).

There are three funds: The SHASS+ Connectivity Fund for cross-disciplinary work, the Humanities Cultivation Fund for humanities-centered research, and the Education Impact Fund for projects designed to improve SHASS students' educational experiences.

Submit your applications before the October 19 deadline.

https://mithic.mit.edu/funds/

09/02/2026

In this week's newsletter, we introduce incoming faculty, learn about the history of vaccine hesitancy, meet a group of student and faculty award winners, and more. https://mailchi.mp/mit/shass-weekly-09022026

MIT Comparative Media Studies / Writing
MIT Economics
MIT Political Science
MIT Linguistics
MIT Philosophy
MIT Music & Theater Arts Section
MIT | Program in Science, Technology, and Society
MIT Anthropology
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
MIT Global Languages

09/01/2026

✍️🌍 Write for the World: The Art of the Blog Post

Have a story to tell? Join the MIT Writing and Communication Center for a short series designed to help you turn an idea into a polished blog post for a broader audience.

🗓️ Tuesdays, Sep 8–22 | 4:00–5:30 PM
📍 Info session on Zoom; workshops in E17-136
🔗 Learn more: https://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/blog-writing/
🔗 Register: https://forms.gle/UCrhGczgLf5rG2Pu7

The program includes:
- An information session
- Two hands-on workshops
- One-on-one support from WCC writing instructors

Graduate students can also submit drafts for the OGE Grad Blog, whether you want to write about research, hobbies, productivity, work-life balance, favorite Cambridge spots, or everyday grad life at MIT.

MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences