Monthly Archives: December 2012

Greetings from the Housemasters

Roger, Dottie, Annette, and Roland wish the SP family a joyous holiday season.

As January 2013 nears, Dottie and I enter our final six months as Housemasters of Sidney-Pacific Graduate Residence. We have hosted our last Thanksgiving dinner with our extended SP “family”, and just this month we watched as our last Christmas tree was trimmed in the lobby. It does not seem that long ago when we entered the building in August 2002 as brand new housemasters with the very first residents and an outstanding group of new officers and a newly designed government!

The past decade has rushed by, but it has been a deeply rewarding time for us. In fact, I think for me it has been the best period of my MIT career so far. We have seen the SP community develop into a supportive and vibrant home for an incredibly diverse and active group of nearly 700 friends and colleagues. We have had the privilege of working very closely with 11 sets of dedicated and creative officers, and Dottie has prepared more than 540 (and counting) dinners for weekly SPEC meetings! We are proud of the impressive leadership skills that have developed and rejoice at the friendships and even romances that have blossomed! Dottie and I are grateful for the wonderful collaboration and friendships we have enjoyed with our Associate Housemasters Keith and Brenda Hampton (2002–2005) and Roland Tang and Annette Kim (since 2005), and with Jack Ahern, our building manager.

We were looking yesterday at the photos documenting the fantastic 10th anniversary and reunion that was held this past summer, and as we looked at all the faces we realized how enriched our lives have been made by the many personal connections we have had over the years. I am sure that many SP alumni have had the same experiences. We hope that the friendships and professional connections made at SP will continue, that we can build a vibrant alumni association, and that periodically we will repeat our reunions!

On a personal note, Dottie and I will be moving out of SP at the end of June 2013 to make room for new housemasters, and an exciting new era at SP! We plan to move to a small coop townhouse in Jamaica Plain (near Jamaica Pond). The commute to my lab in building E25 will be longer than the 16-minute walk from SP, but will be quite manageable by car or even by bicycle. We would encourage you to look us up if you are in the area, and come for that “cup of tea and catch-up chat”. We do look forward to keeping in touch and hearing about your lives. Thanks for 11 great years and incredible memories!

We extend hearty holiday greetings to everyone!

Fondly,

Roger & Dottie Mark

Sidney-Pacific Housemasters

The Sidney-Pacific Experience: An Alumni Perspective

Sriram Krishnan attends SP’s 10th Anniversary Reunion Gala Dinner (Photo credit: Po-Ru Loh).

“My home away from home” is my impression of Sidney-Pacific every time I think about my days as a resident. By no small measure, the 10th year reunion cemented that viewpoint even more. It was truly a delight to be a part of a fabulous reunion weekend both as an alum and as an organizer. The reunion gave me a chance to meet many of my friends from years past as well as their families – a sign that the Sidney-Pacific family is ever-growing. The reunion committee’s work was quite an exciting adventure. I certainly indulged in the verve that many an SP event brings about. The reunion video was one such effort. Some years back, a bunch of us went through a similar exercise to put together an orientation video for incoming residents. We thought we did a fine job. However, one look at the reunion video and I am sure you will echo at our previous video: ‘What amateurs!’ In many ways, helping organize the 10th year reunion brought my involvement with Sidney-Pacific a full circle. I have been quite fortunate to have been part of the group of students that helped found Sidney-Pacific and I am indeed grateful to have worked alongside current SP residents to organize the 10th year reunion. I look forward to many more such events that bring SP alumni together.

I definitely would encourage alums to share tidbits from your own lives and stay in touch. We are several thousand strong in number and the uniqueness of Sidney-Pacific makes us a professional network unlike any other. It is up to us to continue to strengthen our connections.

By: Sriram Krishnan, SP Resident 2002-2007

Where Are They Now? News from Sidney-Pacific Alumni

Amy Bilton and her husband Andreas on their wedding day, posing next to the University of Toronto solar car “Cerulean”.

Ever wonder what your fellow residents have been up to since MIT? Well, now is your chance to catch up! Whether moving across the globe or just down the street, making films or computer apps, teaching engineering or learning circus arts, we think you’ll agree that Sidney-Pacific alumni have been leading fascinating lives.

Compiled and edited by: Chelsea He

Amy Bilton (PhD ’13, Course 16) had a busy fall. She defended her PhD in September, got married to her long-time boyfriend Andreas in October, and spent most of November on her honeymoon in Southeast Asia. She is currently a postdoc at MIT and is searching for academic jobs.

Timothy Chan (PhD ’07, Operations Research) and Laura Cham (SM ’05, Transportation) met at a dance party at SP and were members of SPEC in 2004-2005. After getting engaged on 07/07/07, they married on 08/08/08 and currently live in Toronto, Canada, where he is a professor and she is a transportation planner. They are living proof that being on SPEC has benefits beyond Dottie’s cooking.

Timothy Chan (left) and Laura Cham (right) attend SP’s 10th Anniversary Reunion Gala Dinner on June 30, 2012 along with Sriram Krishnan (Photo credit: Po-Ru Loh).

Allison Chang (PhD ’12, Operations Research) spent the summer after graduation doing a mix of research and traveling. She also moved out of SP after five glorious years in 3-South, and in September started as a new member of the research staff at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. She still lives near Central Square, and enjoys being a part of many of the same communities (ballroom dance, musical theatre, church) as before.

After taking a two-year post-PhD detour that involved work at a pharmaceutical company, a non-profit hospital, and a startup, Leonid Chindelevitch (PhD ’10, Applied Math) decided to return to academia in September and started a position as a postdoctoral fellow at the university down the road’s School of Public Health. He also tried the role of a street musician earlier this summer, playing classical guitar in some public areas in Boston and Cambridge. Lastly, he just launched a blog, mathophilia.com, where he discusses the role of mathematics and mathematicians in our society.

Lillian Dai (PhD ’08, Course 6) has a 1.5 year old who is starting to put sentences together, and a 3.5 year old who wastes no time in exerting her influence on her sister’s first few sentences. In an interest to keep her kids bilingual, she and a few friends got together to build a second-language learning app for young kids. Her first Kickstarter campaign for the app was just recently launched. Come by and take a look!

Chuck Eesley (PhD ’09, Course 15) has been enjoying all that the Bay Area has to offer after being hired as a faculty member three years ago in the Stanford School of Engineering, teaching technology entrepreneurship.

Andrea Gabert, Esq. (PhD ’07, Chemistry) passed the Massachusetts Bar Exam and will continue to work at Wolf Greenfield in Boston as a patent attorney. Her husband, Daryush Mehta (SM ’06, EECS and PhD ’10, HST), continues to work as a research scientist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center to better understand why some people develop voice disorders while others do not. Soon they hope to say, “We have an app for that!” Andrea and Daryush send their best wishes to the entire SP family!

Marc Haddad (PhD ’08, Technology Management and Policy) joined the School of Industrial Engineering at the Lebanese American University (LAU) as Assistant Professor of Systems Engineering and Management.

Qiang Han (MBA ’09, Course 15) spent 2 years living at SP, first in 441A, then in 712 and as one of the officers. His girlfriend was a classmate and fellow SP alum, having lived in 537B during her first year at Sloan. They fell in love during their first month in SP, and after five years, got married this past summer! They know at least 6 other Sloan classmates (3 couples) in the Class of ’09 who stayed at SP while at MIT and eventually got married to one another. SP provides a place not only of warmth and care, but of romance as well!

After graduating from MIT, Sriram Krishnan (PhD ’07, Course 2) headed to the windy city of Chicago for a couple of years. In 2009, he got married to Sowmya Balasubramanian, then moved to San Antonio for a couple more years before landing back in Boston. He is currently a market analyst and strategy consultant focused on the solar industry. On a personal note, Sriram and Sowmya are thrilled to be welcoming their first child in January 2013.

George Lan (SM ’12, Course 15) recently started working at Elsevier in their global academic relations division. In his free time, he enjoys plotting (not-so) secret SP reunions (#SPAlums_NYC). The things he misses most about SP are: 1) the crazy, exciting bustle of preparing monthly brunches, 2) the creative, culinary creations of House Cup food-related events, 3) a free gym inside the building, and 4) Dottie’s homemade carrot cake.

Jeff Mo on the waterfront in Portsmouth, England.

Joseph Laracy (SM ’07, Engineering Systems) received the STB degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in June 2012, and was ordained to the transitional diaconate by Archbishop John J. Myers at the altar of the chair in St. Peter’s Basilica on October 4, 2012. He will be ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey on May 25, 2013.

After leaving MIT in August 2011, Jeff Mo (SM ’10, Course 10) headed to Paris, France for an internship at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). After spending six months there studying the fiscal impact of immigration and eating a pastry every afternoon, he went backpacking around China for three months before moving to London, UK for a second master’s degree in Economics at the London School of Economics. Let him know if you’re in town!

Arthur Musah in action in Lagos, Nigeria on August 19, 2012.

Arthur Musah (SB ’04, MEng ’05, Course 6-2) went back to school in 2009 to study filmmaking in Los Angeles. He is now back in Cambridge making his first feature length film, a coming of age documentary about 5 African youths on a quest for knowledge at MIT. Shot over 4 years as their lives meander between North America and Africa, the film is chronicling how they discover engineering, the world and their adult selves. Arthur is keeping a production blog about making this film on the website www.onedayitoogofly.com. He hopes you check it out and send him your thoughts on your own life and times at the Institute as he attempts to capture the essence of the MIT undergrad experience. Additionally, you can read an interview with Arthur recently published in The Tech.

After finishing at MIT, Robin Stewart (SM ’08, Course 6) moved to Seattle and developed Mac and iPad apps for several years. He now works for Tableau Software, designing and prototyping ideas for their suite of data visualization products. In his spare time he’s learning aerial circus arts!

Chia-Hung Wu shows his MIT pride in Pasadena.

Chia-Hung Wu (PhD ’09, Chemistry) is currently doing a postdoc in the “division” of Biology at “the other Institute of Technology.” Proud to be an MIT beaver, he likes to wear his MIT hat and sometimes gets peculiar looks from people on campus. One day, while waiting in a line for a free food tasting (a postdoc is just 1.5 graduate student) at a festival hosted by a local business, a guy behind him tapped his shoulder and kindly reminded him that it could be dangerous to walk around Pasadena wearing an MIT hat. The conversation drew some laughs in the crowd, probably from some other beavers. Despite the warning, he still proudly wears his MIT hat around.

Like what you see? We invite you to add your story to the next issue by emailing: sp-alumni-news [at] mit [dot] edu

Power Outage in Cambridge!

View from E62 during the power outage. Courtesy of Lisa DeCanio.

On Thursday, November 29^th, around 4:20 pm, most of Cambridge and all of MIT lost power. Electricity was mostly restored by 6:30 pm, but the outage resulted in gridlock throughout much of Cambridge as well as the cancellation of a political forum at Harvard featuring top advisers from both campaigns in the recent presidential elections.

The outage affected around 17,000 customers according to NStar, and occurred during maintenance to a transmission line in Cambridge. While the main line was out of service, a backup line was used. However, the second line was shut down when a relay “incorrectly sensed an abnormality”, according to the preliminary investigation. Power was restored when the relay was disabled.

Fortunately, MIT’s backup generators kept hall lights on so students and staff could find their way out of campus buildings. Others in Cambridge had to use cell phones as flash lights to get out and there were some reports to the police of people getting stuck in elevators.

View of Cambridge from East Cambridge at the beginning of the power outage. Courtesy of Lisa DeCanio

The lack of power failed to dissuade some MIT students from continuing their work, including a 6.431 tutorial session which continued through the darkness thanks to a number of students having flashlights.

In Sid-Pac, the most noticeable effect has been the technical difficulties experienced by SPTV and some wireless routers. If you are still having trouble with your wireless internet access, please report your issues to IS&T, and use an ethernet cable in the meantime. Ethernet cables are available for free at the IS&T building (E17).

By Patrick Blonigan (SP Newsletter Chair)

An Interview with the new NW Community Police Officer

Officer Lily Almeyda with member of SPEC and the GSC. Courtesy GSC

Officer Lily Almeyda (center) with members of SPEC and the GSC. Courtesy GSC

Recently, SP President Pierre-Olivier Lepage sat down with the new NW Community Police Officer Lily Almeyda:

Can you give us a little more information about your background?

I was born in the city of Boston and attended Boston Public Schools. My mother is from Guatemala and my father is from Peru. I speak fluent Spanish and I can also read and write it. I originally went to school to become a dentist but unfortunately that did not work out for me so I had to change my major to Criminal Justice. While in college I never knew what I would do with a criminal justice degree. In 2005 I received a bachelors degree from Northeastern University on a full scholarship. After college I became an Assistant Director for Residential Safety at Northeastern University for several years. I then decided to go back to school for a masters degree while working full time. I received a master of science in leadership with a concentration in organizational communications in 2008 while attending the police academy. I attended the MBTA Transit Police academy in 2008 for 6 months and became a police officer at Harvard University. I was laid off last year and then got the opportunity to work for MIT Police. I am very happy to be here.

How would you describe your role in the NW campus?

My role in the NW community is not only one but many. I want all community members to trust me and feel comfortable to talk to me and be able to stop by with any questions or concerns. I also will serve as a problem solver for the community. I want everyone to know that I am here to answer any questions and concerns they have about anything even if it is not a police related matter. I will be in my office and also out on the street being visible to increase the feeling of safety in the area. I want to deter any feelings of uncertainty in the community. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and hearing what they expect from me as the NW community Police Officer.

What do you like to do in your free time?

On my free time I spend as much time as I can with my 3 year old son named Davian. I love children! I also enjoy traveling, horseback riding and learning about culture. I have traveled to many countries including: Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Spain, France, Italy, Dominican Republic and several Caribbean islands. I also enjoy dogs. I have an English Bulldog named Remy.

Any other information you would like to share with the community?

I want the community to know that everyone is responsible for their own safety and we can help each other to stay safe in and outside of their residences. My office is in NW86 room 141 and will be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 5pm-1am, Wednesday and Friday 6pm-2am. I will be out of the office on holidays, weekends and every third Monday beginning on November 26, 2012. My office telephone number is 617-324-6026. The best way to reach me if I am not in my office is to send me an email.

By Pierre-Olivier Lepage (SP President)

Taking the Front-Row Seat: Sid-Pac’s Distinguished Lecture Series

Maestro Benjamin Zander speaks at the Sidney Pacific. Distinguished Lecture Series. Courtesy of Carrie Cai.

Maestro Benjamin Zander speaks at the Sidney Pacific Distinguished Lecture Series. Courtesy of CoSI.

“Have you ever considered why nobody ever sits in this row?” inquired Maestro Benjamin Zander, gesturing at the lonely row of empty chairs lining the front of Sidney Pacific’s otherwise packed multipurpose room. On the day after Hurricane Sandy, over 250 MIT students and community members ventured through the rain to attend Sidney Pacific’s Distinguished Lecture Series, one of the dorm’s longest-running traditions.

They came to attend a talk by Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and world-renowned TED speaker. Far from delivering a typical lecture, Zander led Sidney Pacific through an unusually interactive evening focusing on leadership, transformation, and personal growth through what he termed “the art of possibility.” Through colorful white board drawings and live piano demonstrations, Zander captivated us with tales of his personal adventures and life lessons. The front row of empty seats immediately filled with audience members who took up Zander’s invitation to engage in a mindset of possibility.

The Sidney Pacific Distinguished Lecture Series is hosted and organized by Sidney Pacific’s Committee on Scholarly Interactions (CoSI), which fosters community dialogue and interaction around intellectual, social, and political issues. We started off the term with a timely lecture by Christina Romer, former Chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, who spoke on economic issues at stake in the 2012 presidential election. The lecture drew a record-breaking number of attendees from MIT as well as students from neighboring universities, and Zander’s rousing lecture mid-semester was similarly well attended. We rounded off the fall with Sidney Pacific Faculty Night, an evening for students and faculty to get to know one another in a more informal, non-academic environment.

Behind the scenes, these events are made possible through countless collaborations with other Sidney Pacific committees, including the Music Committee, our Housemasters and Associate Housemasters, and our heroic House Manager and staff. Zander’s interactive lecture was enriched and preceded by a very successful 70-person Boston Philharmonic music outing to Sanders Theatre, organized by Sidney Pacific’s music chair (Nate Zuk). Moreover, the novel seating format at Christina Romer’s lecture was made possible by joint planning with House Manager Jack Ahern and his staff. Most recently, our CoSI dinner discussion on female work-life balance was facilitated by Annette Kim, Sidney Pacific Associate Housemaster.

Next Spring, we look forward to hosting a town-hall discussion with MIT President Rafael Reif, a multimedia lecture on the neuroscience of creativity by neurosurgeon and musician Charles Limb, and a talk on civic engagement by Ethan Zuckerman from the MIT Center for Civic Media.

As always, we invite any residents to get involved with CoSI by emailing us at sp-cosi-chair@mit.edu. Perhaps we’ll see you next time in the front row!

Carrie Cai,

on behalf of Carrie Cai and David Rosen (CoSI Co-Chairs)

Boston College vs. Notre Dame: College Football in Boston

Tight End Troy Niklas (85) catches a Touchdown. Courtesy of ESPN.

As a die-hard Notre Dame football fan, I was very excited to attend the Notre Dame-Boston College game, known as the “Holy War”, on November 10^th. I have been to a number of Notre Dame home games over the years but have I had never been to an away game. The game day atmosphere at Notre Dame is amazing and I was curious to see how it was at BC. I attended the game with my younger brother and his friends, who are currently juniors at Notre Dame. We went to a tailgate party before the game, where we enjoyed meatball subs, chips and beer with some BC fans, who turned out to be very friendly and welcoming despite the fact we were rooting for the opposing team. Although the area for tailgating was much more cramped than at Notre Dame, so much so that some tailgate parties were relegated to BC’s parking garage, the overall pregame atmosphere at Boston College was great, with numerous parties on campus and plenty of hamburgers and beer.

A group of wild and crazy Notre Dame super fans at half time.

We entered the stadium about 20 minutes before kickoff. Because of BC’s poor football season, and Notre Dame’s undefeated season and large alumni presence in Boston, it was difficult to spot any BC fans outside of the student section in the stadium. The game itself was not extraordinary, but we all still had a great time cheering on the Fighting Irish with all the other Notre Dame fans in the stands, including some alumni who helped us do crowd push-ups after Notre Dame touchdowns. The Fighting Irish beat the BC Eagles 21-6 and Notre Dame continued its completely unexpected undefeated season, which has resulted in Notre Dame’s first national championship appearance in over 20 years.

Although the BC football program is not great right now, they have just hired a new coach and are typically a good football team. Because of this, and the enjoyable game day atmosphere at BC, I would highly recommend attending a BC football game. Boston College is just a half-an-hour T ride away and football tickets can be as cheap as $20.