Thank You to These Community Members

The following MIT community members have been recognized for going the extra mile. Thank someone today.
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Celso Ramos and the Custodial Team in NW14

Celso Ramos is a very hardworking man who goes out of his way to respond to work orders. His team is also very helpful and available. I am grateful for their attention and professional work.
Rachel Batista, School of Engineering

Ed Ballo

Ed has remained faithful to his many responsibilities while working remotely with limited technology at home. He has continued to recruit students for the program through virtual events and correspondence. And he volunteered to work in the office once a week through the busy admissions season, carefully following all the testing and certification protocols, in order to retrieve and process postal mail. He is one of the many unsung heroes of the support staff.
Stephen Pepper, Office of Vice Chancellor

Lori Kauffman

Lori's genuine curiosity is one of her strengths that makes her good at her work. She also carefully tracks projects and is very thorough. I'm grateful I get to work with such an excellent researcher!
Julia Kester, Alumni Association and Resource Development

Eboney Hearn

Eboney -- I love your contagious passion for OEOP. You inspire me and make me want to raise lots and lots of funds to support OEOP students!!! It's a true joy to work with you.
Julia Kester, Alumni Association and Resource Development

Asha Bhakar

Asha is an incredible partner to me in resource development. Her knowledge of and passion for her subject area shines through in every interaction, particularly with donors. Her thoughtful and collaborative ways of stewarding donors to Picower and ABI are truly impressive.
Julia Kester, School of Science

Karen M O'Leary, Biology Kitchen Staff

Thank you for your great and always reliable help in keeping our animals safe in challenging circumstances this year.
Dina Volfson, School of Science

Shannon Gamache Scurry

Shannon is a joy to work with, and I appreciate collaborating with her. She is responsive, helpful, and does an excellent job of communicating with our volunteers and donors. I'm grateful to know our volunteers are in good hands under her leadership.
Julia Kester, Alumni Association and Resource Development

Megan Hinckley

I'm so grateful I have the opportunity to work with Megan! She is an incredible thought partner who has great ideas for engaging prospects and donors and is always available to collaborate. I admire her writing skills and deeply appreciate the edits she makes to my writing, adding warm and personal touches.
Julia Kester, Alumni Association and Resource Development

Heather Upshaw

Heather is a great colleague and resource. I appreciate her creative ideas for engaging prospects and donors, and admire the way she has taken ownership of her role by creating a seminar series and exploring specific fundraising project ideas that could appeal to donors looking for unique ways to help.
Julia Kester, Alumni Association and Resource Development

Custodians of Building 46

Thank you for taking care of our building and keeping us all safe.
Dina Volfson, School of Science

CJ Quines

CJ is an amazing student who publishes his extensive teaching, interesting ideas, and great websites. He's done a lot indirectly (mostly writing) to help me feel like I belong, and to me, he represents MIT.
Lucas Chu, School of Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

We wanted to send a note of appreciation and support to our MechE colleagues from all of us at J-WAFS. We know it has been a very challenging year for you all, and that these last few months have been particularly burdensome. Please know that we are with you, and thinking of each of you—students, staff, and faculty alike—as you weather these challenging moments.

We value all of you in MechE so much! Many among you have been incredibly influential in supporting J-WAFS initiatives and advancing our mission. We are so grateful to the vision and drive that you have shared with us as student researchers, faculty PIs, advisors, grant reviewers, event presenters, and valued thought partners. Truly, thank you for all that you have done for us, for the Institute, and for water and food systems challenges worldwide.
The J-WAFS team, Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab

Hanna Ovaska

Hannah has gone out of her way during the pandemic. Employees feel valued and part of a team. She is an extraordinary asset to AeroAstro and to the Institute.
Anonymous, School of Engineering

Endicott House staff serving isolated students

Beginning in September a group of Endicott staff were assigned to deliver meals, supplies and personal items to students in isolation on a 7 day basis. All members of the team took on the assignment with determination and dedication to serve the community. Although they have risked exposure each and every day, they maintain a positive attitude and when faced with operational challenges and logistical problems their focus was to insure the student were served and had the needed support.
Mike Fitzgerald, Division of Student Life

Beth Marois

Beth has always been so helpful and cheerful to us. She commiserates in tough situations and always knows the right resource to direct students towards. She keeps the AeroAstro grad program running and her quiet competence is so so appreciated - I am sure she is doing 100 other things behind the scenes that we don't even know about to thank her for. I am so grateful for Beth!
Anonymous, AeroAstro

Pam Fradkin

Pam puts a lot of time into helping the department stay connected while we're all remote! She engages with community Zoom events, our grad student Slack, town halls, you name it. She is enthusiastic and genuine and I very much appreciate her efforts and want her to know we see them!
Anonymous, AeroAstro

Gretchen Jones

Gretchen is an exceptional fiscal officer who goes out of her way to help. She is a very knowledgeable and dedicated employee whose contributions were essential to successful completion of my proposals. Working with her is one of the high points of being at CSAIL.
Regina Barzilay, Schwarzman School of Computing

Everyone at MIT Medical involved in the vaccination process

From the greeter who took our temperatures at the door to the recorder who checked off our names on the appointments list to the guides who ushered us to the the right place to the nurses who administered the vaccinations and who told us that, having dodged the anaphylactic bullet, we could leave, they all transformed what could have been a stressful visit into a pleasant outing among friends. The lighted-heartedness combined with consummate professionalism was just what we needed. We are so fortunate to be a part of MIT Medical.
Samuel Jay Keyser, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Libby Mahaffy

Libby runs weekly bystander training sessions in which we practice bystander behavior in small groups. Participating in these sessions has probably been one of the best decisions I've made in my life and Libby does a wonderful job of creating a space that feels like a place that I can be vulnerable and learn in, which is amazing because the makeup of the group is different each time and I am often meeting new people. Thank you Libby for all that you do for MIT.
Carol Matsuzaki, Division of Student Life

Janak Thapa

Thank you Janak for helping our lab to function during this pandemic. You did a lot: planning for research ramp-down and ramp-up, scheduling for shifts, looking after the lab when there's a limited number of people allowed, and maintaining all the tools. We really appreciate all your effort!
Titan Hartono, School of Engineering

Miguel Flores

Miguel and Alexa have been pillars of stability, patience and good spirits. Last March during the swift transition Miguel was always, and I mean always available to help answer questions and navigate, what was for me, new platforms. Alexa continues to be helpful, available and responsive to all needs. Grateful for them both!
Keely Eastley, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Sara Bonner

Thank you Sara, for running an extra mile, and doing the extra work, to keep the research group functioning, even though we are all in different places. I don't think the group would work this well during the pandemic without all your effort.
Titan Hartono, School of Engineering

Shallon Silvestrone

Thank you for onboarding, leading, supporting, and motivating our new team throughout this year. It's incredible what we've been able to accomplish.
Samantha McGurgan, Sloan School of Management

Jack Umenberger

Jack goes out of his way to make everyone feel included. He has a great can-do attitude and seems ready for any challenge. His positivity and inquisitive nature is a great asset to CSAIL and MIT.
Gretchen Jones, Schwarzman School of Computing

Kim Haberlin

Kim is simply awesome--thoughtful, hard-working, supportive, talented, and selfless--and I am grateful for her good colleagueship every day.
Matthew Bauer, Division of Student Life

Cory Ventre-Pake, Nazli Ece Usta, Dave Ludgin, Saket Adhikarla

I cannot imagine a group of teaching assistants more capable of turning Covid lemons in to lemonade than you four are. You have taught me how to be better at presenting, more creative in how I do it, and how to keep it all fun. I am learning by your examples what is possible in this new world, and how to use "old world" stuff better, too. You are doing all of this while working on your theses, which just makes me feel lazy. Keep up the good work!
Andy MacInnis, Integrated Design and Management

Matt Kressy, Tony Hu, Shauna Bush-Fenty, Grace Agosto

As my colleagues at IDM, I have seen you step up your game to an amazing level during this Zoom Epoch. You have made me a better teacher, better manager of time, and I've become more pro-active by your examples. Thanks for making my work life the best one I could imagine.
Andy MacInnis, Integrated Design and Management

President Rafael Reif's writing staff

I would love to thank President Reif's writing staff for always bringing their 'A' game. I was especially moved by the President's recent email - Inviting You to MIT Reflects (3/5/2021). This sentence is particularly beautiful and expressive:

"Paradoxically – and to an extent we might never have achieved in the times “before” – the same force that barricades us from being together invites us into radical empathy."

President Reif's first and second emails to the MIT Community regarding the Epstein crisis were also examples of extraordinary writing. While nothing could erase the pain of the Epstein situation, these emails had a simplicity and self-expressive honesty that seemed unprecedented in professional communication. I remember thinking that I've never seen better writing.

I don't know who President Reif's primary writer or writing team is. Could you kindly help me to let them know they're appreciated?
Jay Matthews, Office of Vice Chancellor

Arthur Grau

Every day for the past year, Arthur Grau has offered a brief yet powerful break in our day online @ at250.mit.edu - a restful, silent, and mindful place to renew and feel a connection with others across the Institute. He opens the space, creates a sense of peace and welcome, and models how to make a tremendous difference just by meditating for 10 minutes. I am awed by his dedication, inspired by his practice, and have benefited from his generosity. Thank you, Arthur!
Chris Karam, Office of the President and EVPT

Kristin Gillis

Kristin keeps the whole Executive Education department upbeat and motivated. On top of her heavy workload, she goes out of her way to add positive perspectives and fun. During this very strange time in the world, we are so lucky to have a coworker like Kristin to make every day feel special.
Lauren Moquin, Sloan School of Management
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