MIT announces the arrival of six new Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professors and Scholars
Several esteemed scholars have recently been appointed to prestigious positions at universities across the United States, extending their previous roles as MLK Visiting Scholars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Paul Ampadu, an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, will join the Department of Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a professor, effective July 1, 2022. Ampadu's expertise lies in the field of physics, and his research has been instrumental in the design, synthesis, and characterization of polymeric materials.
Sophia Inzunza, another MLK Visiting Scholar at MIT, has been appointed as an associate professor in the Department of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), effective July 1, 2022. Inzunza's research interests span the fields of physics and electrical engineering, with a particular focus on quantum computing and nanophotonics.
The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University has announced the appointment of Eilaf Ahmed as an assistant professor, effective July 1, 2022. Ahmed, who was previously a MLK Visiting Scholar in the Department of Chemistry at MIT, specializes in the development of novel materials and their applications in energy storage and conversion.
Susan Perkins, a MLK Visiting Assistant Professor in the MIT Sloan School of Management, has been appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, effective July 1, 2022. Perkins' research focuses on the impact of diversity and inclusion on organizational outcomes, with a particular emphasis on the technology sector.
Chanda Prescod Weinstein, a MLK Visiting Scholar in the Department of Physics at MIT, has been appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California (USC), effective July 1, 2022. Weinstein's research explores the intersection of physics, cosmology, and social justice, with a focus on understanding the properties of dark matter and the role of race in the scientific community.
Notably, the 2012–2013 MLK Visiting Professor and Scholar at MIT was Ta-Nehisi Coates. During his tenure, Coates, a leading journalist and public intellectual, critically examined institutional racism, particularly housing discrimination and the historical effects of redlining. His work, including his article "The Case for Reparations," explored systemic racial injustices related to real estate and economic exploitation in Black urban America.
In addition to these appointments, Thomas Epps III '98, SM '99, an associate professor at the University of Delaware, and Carlos Castillo-Chavez, a Regents Professor and the Joaquin Bustoz Jr. Professor of Mathematical Biology at Arizona State University, have also been appointed to faculty positions at their respective universities.
Robert Hampshire, an assistant professor at the John H. Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, and Terrence Blackman, an instructor in the mathematics department at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, continue their research in urban transportation systems and the Jacquet-Langlands correspondence, respectively.
Julio D'Arcy, who received his PhD in chemistry at UCLA in June 2012, has made significant contributions to the fields of conjugated polymers, electrochemistry, and thin-film composite devices, with a particular interest in energy applications.
These appointments underscore the ongoing commitment of these universities to fostering diversity and excellence in their academic communities. As these scholars embark on their new roles, they bring with them a wealth of knowledge and a passion for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines.
[1] Coates, Ta-Nehisi. "The Case for Reparations." The Atlantic, June 2014.
- The prestigious positions at universities across the United States, held by several esteemed scholars, will soon be extended as they assume new roles.
- Paul Ampadu, currently an Associate Professor at MIT, will join the Department of Physics at UCLA, focusing on polymeric materials.
- Sophia Inzunza, another scholar from MIT, will be an associate professor in UCB's Department of Physics, researching quantum computing and nanophotonics.
- Eilaf Ahmed, a former MLK Visiting Scholar at MIT's Department of Chemistry, will specialize in energy storage and conversion at Harvard University's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.
- Susan Perkins, previously a MLK Visiting Assistant Professor in MIT's Sloan School of Management, will research diversity and inclusion in the technology sector at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
- Chanda Prescod Weinstein, a former MLK Visiting Scholar at MIT's Department of Physics, will focus on the intersection of physics, cosmology, and social justice at USC's Department of Physics and Astronomy.
- A 2012–2013 MLK Visiting Professor and Scholar at MIT, Ta-Nehisi Coates, critically examined institutional racism, particularly housing discrimination and redlining.
- Thomas Epps III and Carlos Castillo-Chavez have been appointed to faculty positions at the University of Delaware and Arizona State University, respectively.
- Robert Hampshire and Terrence Blackman continue their research in urban transportation systems and the Jacquet-Langlands correspondence, respectively.
- Julio D'Arcy, a PhD graduate from UCLA, has made significant contributions to the fields of conjugated polymers, electrochemistry, and thin-film composite devices, with a particular interest in energy applications.
- These appointments highlight the ongoing commitment of universities to fostering diversity and excellence in their academic communities.
- As these scholars begin their new roles, they bring with them a wealth of knowledge and a passion for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines, contributing to education-and-self-development, science, business, engineering, finance, and society.
