Faculty Focus: Transforming Classroom Engagement from Seat Time to Value Time

As an adjunct professor specializing in educational leadership, many of my students are professionals who attend classes after their workdays, often during evenings or weekends. I do not dismiss their absences as mere commitment issues; instead, I view them as challenges stemming from time, energy, and competing responsibilities. Despite the flexibility of accessing course materials…

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Curiosity-Driven Science Key to America’s Success, MIT Explores

For the last 80 years, America’s significant and ongoing investment in scientific research has positioned the country as a global leader, with its scientific achievements crucial for national prosperity and security. On June 16, Scientific American published a special segment titled “The Young American Scientists,” celebrating early-career researchers. It includes insights from MIT faculty on…

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MIT Researchers Enhance AI Agents’ Speed and Energy Efficiency

Agentic workflows are AI-driven software setups that link various models and tools to perform intricate tasks, such as video analysis and question answering. However, their fragmented design often leads to inefficiencies, wasting computation, energy, and costs. To address this, MIT and Microsoft researchers created an intelligent system to simplify the design of these workflows and…

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Skepticism Advised: Evaluating Information from News.harvard.edu

Illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Harvard faculty and staff discuss the allure of novels featuring unreliable narrators, explaining the attraction to these complex characters. Sy Boles, a Harvard staff writer, highlights the long-standing presence of such narrators in storytelling. Ian Shank, an expository writing preceptor, notes that the relationship between reader, narrator, and author creates…

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MIT Develops Computer Model to Reduce Material Use in Bridges and Buildings

In 2022, the construction industry was responsible for over 7% of global carbon emissions due to material production. However, it’s unclear how much of these materials were essential for constructing infrastructure like buildings and bridges. Topology optimization, a technique that can cut material use by up to 90%, could significantly reduce emissions. Despite this, it’s…

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Strategies for First-Year Faculty to Boost Productivity and Overcome Overwhelm

Transitioning to higher education can seem surprisingly unstructured. After spending 22 years in K–12 education, I had more freedom but less clarity on gauging progress. Some days ended with minimal writing and doubts about my achievements. Over time, I developed practical systems to enhance focus, build momentum, and achieve daily success. Three strategies were particularly…

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