In addition to the formal, Institute-wide Excellence Awards, there are two additional programs at MIT for acknowledging co-workers and peers.
Appreciation or Spot awards are used for informal, on-the-spot, day-to-day recognition, while Infinite Mile awards are typically more formal, semi-annual or annual awards administered and presented in local areas. MIT has granted each area considerable freedom to customize their own activities.
Appreciation awards/spot awards
Appreciation Awards (aka "on-the-spot" or "spot" awards) are delivered at the time of achievement. These acknowledgments should be relatively small and can be given to individuals, teams, or work groups.
As with all awards, they should be tied to a specific message of recognition for a concrete or measurable goal, achievement, or contribution.
The types of contributions that might be recognized through appreciation awards are:
- staying late to help someone prepare a presentation for the next day
- volunteering to cover for a co-worker who is out sick
- going out of your way to help boost morale or create a positive, inclusive work environment
- exceeding expectations for a goal or milestone in a long-term collaborative project
Use Find Your Local Program below to locate your organizational area's recognition site. If your area does not have a web site, you can email the key contact listed for your unit and he/she will provide you with the program guidelines.
Infinite Mile awards
The Infinite Mile awards are given to teams and individuals for significant accomplishments in their departments, labs, or centers or in other DLCs with which they collaborate. Criteria for receiving the awards are determined locally and are frequently grouped into different award categories.
Each area has designed a unique program which suits its culture and strategic goals. Typically, Infinite Mile Awards come in the form of cash (subject to payroll taxes) and/or a social event or outing. They may also be tangible gifts such as plaques, gift certificates, or cultural or sports event tickets.
Use Find Your Local Program below to locate your organizational area's recognition site. If your area does not have a web site, you can email the key contact listed for your unit and he/she will provide you with the program guidelines and a copy of the nomination form.
Find your local program
Schools and organization areas at MIT host annual Infinite Mile events to honor staff teams and individuals within the department for significant accomplishments. Criteria for receiving the awards are determined locally, and the nomination periods and event are scheduled at various times through the year. Nominators from outside the department can nominate so long as the nominee(s) are members of the department. Contact the DLC Recognition Administrators noted below directly for more specific information.
Ellen Gilmore egilmore@mit.edu
Diana Casteneda diancas@mit.edu
The Alumni Association Infinite Mile Awards took place in December 2020. Nominations for the next cycle will open in Fall 2021.
School of Architecture and Planning
Department of Architecture, Department of Urban Studies & Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, Media Lab, Center for Real Estate, Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism, Program in Art, Culture and Technology
Dineen Doucette dineend@mit.edu
School of Architecture and Planning Infinite Mile Information
Nominations open March 2021
Emma Bagshaw ebagshaw@mit.edu
Audit Division Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open February 24 – May 19, 2021
Athletics, Physical Education & Recreation, Audio Visual, Campus Activities Complex, Dining, Community Development & Substance Abuse Programs, DSL Administration, DSL Fundraising, Endicott House; Fraternities, Sororities and Independent Living Groups (FSILGs); Hobby Shop, Housing, MIT Card Office & TechCASH, Office of the Dean for Student Life, Public Service Center, Religious Life, Residential Life Programs, Student Activities, Student Leadership Development, Student Mediation & Community Standards, Student Life Programs, Student Support Services
Sonja Dagbjartsdottir sonjad@mit.edu
Alicja Estabrooks estabroa@mit.edu
Division of Student Life Infinite Mile Information
Nominations open by late February 2021
Aeronautics & Astronautics, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Office of the Dean; Laboratories, Centers and Programs: Center for Transportation and Logistics, Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, Industrial Performance Center, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Leaders for Global Operations, Lemelson-MIT Program, Microsystems Technology Laboratories, MIT Professional Education, MIT Sandbox Innovation Program, MIT Sea Grant College Program, Office of Engineering Outreach Programs, Program in Polymer Sciences and Technology, Supply Chain Management Program, System Design and Management Program
Catherine Kim kimcs@mit.edu
Michelle Coyne mkcoyne@mit.edu
Mary Ellen Sinkus mod@mit.edu
School of Engineering Infinite Mile Awards Information
Nominations due by April 16, 2021
soe-awards@mit.edu
Environment, Health, and Safety Office
Nadia Morrison nmorriso@mit.edu
EHS Infinite Mile Awards Information
Nominations open in April 2021
Damaris Colono damarisc@mit.edu
Raquel Irons rirons@mit.edu
Facilities Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open Spring 2021 (TBD)
Vice President for Finance Operations
Ann Warner-Harvey awharvey@mit.edu
Nico Lang nlang@mit.edu
VPF Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open Spring 2021 (TBD)
School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Anthropology Program, Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Economics, Global Studies and Languages, History Section, J-PAL North America and Gender, Culture, Women, and Sexuality (GCWS), Linguistics & Philosophy, Literature Section, Music & Theater Arts Section, Office of the Dean, Political Science, Programs in Science, Technology & Society, Center for International Studies; Women & Gender Studies
Erminia Piccinonno erminia@mit.edu
Jillian McKay jmckay@mit.edu
SHASS Infinite Mile Nomination Information
Nominations open by March 1, 2021
shass-recoginition@mit.edu
Human Resources
Cori Champagne corich@mit.edu
Elizabeth Hawley eahawley@mit.edu
HR Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open March 2021
Information Systems & Technology
Alice Knipfing knipfing@mit.edu
The IS&T Infinite Mile Awards took place in December 2020. Nominations for the next cycle will open in Fall 2021.
Cherry Ibrahim cherryib@mit.edu
MIT Libraries Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open Spring 2021 (TBD)
Ellen Beachy ebeachy@ll.mit.edu
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Team Awards
Nominations open Spring 2021 (TBD)
Charlene Flaherty cflahert@mit.edu
The MIT Credit Union Awards took place in 2020. Nominations for the next cycle will open in Fall 2021.
MIT Investment Management Company (MITIMCo)
Shannon Ciempa sciempa@mit.edu
MITIMCo Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open Spring 2021 (TBD)
MIT Medical
Diane Magnuson magn@med.mit.edu
Lisa Owens owens@med.mit.edu
MIT Medical Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open Spring 2021 (TBD)
Capt. Andrew Turco aturco@mit.edu
MIT Police Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open Spring 2021 (TBD)
MIT Press
Nick Green njgreen@mit.edu
MIT Press Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open April 2021
President/Executive Vice President and Treasurer
Copy Tech, Gray House, Office of the Chairman of the Corporation, Office of the Executive Vice President and Treasurer, Office of the General Counsel, Office of the President, Office of the Vice President and Secretary of the Corporation, Institute Affairs, Office of the Vice President for Communications, Office of Government and Community Relations
Ann McNamara annm@mit.edu
Sarah Brown Mattivello smattiv@MIT.EDU
Office of the President and EVPT Infinite Mile Information
Nominations open through March 22, 2021
Provost/Vice President for Research
Offices of the Provost, Associate Provosts, Vice President for Research, and the following: Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology, COUHES (office), Division of Comparative Medicine, edX, Environmental Solutions Initiative, Haystack Observatory, Innovation Initiative, Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, International Scholars Office, J-WAFS, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, List Visual Arts Center, Materials Research Laboratory, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT Energy Initiative, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, MITii, MIT Museum, MIT Open Learning, MIT.nano, MIT-SUTD Collaboration, MIT Venture Mentoring Service, MIT/Woods Hole Joint Program in Oceanography and Oceanographic Engineering, Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, Office of the Arts, Office of Corporate Relations/Industrial Liaison Program, Office of Sponsored Programs, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Skolkovo, SOLVE, Technology Licensing Office, Technology Review
Gabriella Browne gbrowne@mit.edu
Kristen Shikes kshikes@mit.edu
Office of the Provost and the Vice President for Research Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations for the Provost/VPR Infinite Mile awards are now closed for the 2021 cycle.
Offices of the Vice President for Resource Development
Ellen Gilmore egilmore@mit.edu
Diana Casteneda diancas@mit.edu
The Resource Development Infinite Mile Awards took place in December 2020. Nominations for the next cycle will open in Fall 2021.
Depts. of Biology, Brain/Cognitive Sciences, Clinical Research Center, Chemistry, EAPS, Mathematics, Physics; Learning and Memory, Space Research; Experimental Study Group; Lab for Nuclear Science, Spectroscopy Lab
Heather Williams heatherg@mit.edu
Kelly Murray kmurray@mit.edu
School of Science Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations for the School of Science Infinite Mile Awards are now closed. Nominations for the next cycle will open in Fall 2021.
Schwarzman College of Computing
Center for Computational Science and Engineering, Center for Biomedical Innovation, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (CSAIL) Laboratory and HQ, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Jameel Clinic for ML in Health, Laboratory for Information & Decision Systems, MIT IBM Watson AI Laboratory, MIT Quest for Intelligence, Schwarzman College of Computing, Sociotechnical Systems Research Center, World Wide Web Consortium
Eileen Ng eng@mit.edu
Diane Ramirez-Riley dlrr@mit.edu
Schwarzman College of Computing Infinite Mile Awards Information
Nominations due by April 16, 2021
Kibret Ramsay kramsey@mit.edu
Sloan School of Management Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations open March – May 1, 2021
Vice Chancellor: Dean for Undergraduate Education and Graduate Education
Admissions Office, Concourse, D-Lab, DUE Administrative Services, Edgerton Center, Global Education and Career Development Office (GECD), International Students Office, Office of Experiential Learning, Office of Graduate Education, Office of Minority Education, Office of the Chancellor, Registrar's Office, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), Student Financial Services, Teaching and Learning Laboratory, Terrascope, Title IX Office, Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP)
Kristin McCoy kmccoy@mit.edu
Sharon Bridburg bridburg@mit.edu
Vice Chancellor: Dean for Undergraduate Education and Graduate Education Infinite Mile Awards
Nominations due by March 13, 2021
Key contacts
Key Contacts are the individuals who are responsible for creating and maintaining recognition-related programs and activities within their areas at MIT.
Funding is allocated locally but budgeted and managed centrally through Human Resources.
In the Wiki
If you're a Key Contact, our private wiki provides you with resources for recognizing employees through financial and non-financial means, a communications bank of recognition content you can customize and send to your area, and more.
Need Help?
Reach Cori Champagne, MIT Recognition Program Administrator, at excellence@mit.edu or (617) 253-5986.
