MIT Club of Princeton Participates in Cranbury Day Fun Run for Helene Cody Foundation

Members of MIT Club of Princeton and family members formed a team to participate in the Cranbury Day 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run on Saturday, September 12, 2009. Proceeds of the Fun Run benefited the Helene Cody Foundation. Winthrop Cody '82 GM is a long-time active member and past president of the club. Win and Linda's daughter and Jenna Cody's sister, Helene, passed away last year. Members of the Club of Princeton formed a team to support our fellow alum, his family and this valuable foundation. The mission of the Helene Cody Foundation is focused on encouraging youth to volunteer to better their communities and themselves with compassion and caring. Good fun and good exercise was had by all! The MIT Alumni Office generously donated MIT tee-shirts for the club member fun run participants. Other club members who were unable to attend contributed directly to the Foundation. Those interested finding out more about Helene Cody and the Foundation or who would like to make a contribution should visit the website: http://www.helenecody.com/HeleneCody_foundation.htm" .

MIT Public Service Center Lecture with Dean Sally Susnowitz

The MIT Club of Princeton, would like to thank Dean Sally Susnowitz for her informative presentation in April detailing the exciting programs of the MIT Public Service Center. It was wonderful to see and hear about the creative solutions MIT students are developing to serve the needs of communities around the world. Following the lecture, MIT club of Princeton member and lecture coordinator Shahla Wunderlich stated, "The importance of the Public Service Center's work will continue to grow and is already a very significant component of the overall MIT education. The upcoming work on the Global Challenge Internet web presence is excellent and should be very complementary to and strengthen the already successful overall MIT presence on the Web".

The members of the MIT Club of Princeton enjoyed and appreciated Sally's visit very much. Dean Susnowitz was photographed with MIT Club of Princeton President, Len Newton and lecture coordinator Shahla Wunderlich. Our thanks to Shahla and Eberhart Wunderlich for coordinating the lecture and to all our volunteers who assisted with details.

For additional Information on ongoing projects at the MIT Public Service Center please click on the following links: MIT Public Service and Project Collections.

Board meetings

Minutes of meetings are available upon request via e-mail. Please contact Nancy Hall, Secretary to have minutes forwarded to your e-mail address.

MIT Club Sponsors Five Local Teachers to SEPT Program

PRINCETON, NJ (PRWeb) July 25, 2008 The MIT Club of Princeton, serving the Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni of central New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is pleased to announce that five area teachers went to MIT this summer to learn the latest techniques in teaching science, technology and engineering, and be exposed to some of the latest research at MIT.

MIT, in conjunction with its respective alumni clubs across the world, select approximately fifty teachers each year to attend Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT) for one week during the summer. The program is designed to share MIT's perspective on how engineers apply the principles of science to meet the technological needs of society. The selected teachers attend presentations on the frontiers of science and math; sessions on the synthesis, processing, properties, and performance of materials; and discussions on the design and manufacture of engineering systems that affect the quality of life on Earth (e.g. water treatment, healthcare, international commerce, and energy conversion).

The five teachers selected this year by the MIT Club of Princeton included Michael Condurso of Bordentown Regional High School teaching Engineering and Technology, Kimberly Murray of Lenape High School teaching Chemistry, William McMullen of John P. Stevens High School teaching Physics, Kathleen Segale of Ridge High School teaching Mathematics, and Afshan Waheed of Perth Amboy High School teaching Biology. It is their combined passion for science and math that prompted them to apply for the MIT SEPT Program.

In addition to funds from the Club itself, the SEPT program was funded with generous contributions from Ashok Madhavan, an MIT alumnus and the Assistant Treasurer of the Campbell Soup Company with a matching contribution from his employer; Mayor Jun Choi, an MIT alumnus and current Mayor of Edison, New Jersey; and local alumni Louisa Ho and Carl VanDyke. The Club has set up a special fund within the MIT Alumni Fund to fund the cost of sending local teachers annually to the MIT SEPT program. As a non-profit, donations to the fund can be augmented by matching employer contributions where available, further increasing the funds available to support this important program.

Speaking about their time at MIT, Mike Condurso said "Outstanding. I felt like we were drinking out of a fire hose. It is the most intense and exciting professional development that I have ever participated in. It is going to affect how I teach and view the designed world for years to come. I am honored to have been able to attend." Kim Murray said, "Spending a week at MIT was one of the most professionally energizing experiences I have done in my career. The SEPT program not only impressed me with the vast amount of valuable information that was shared with us during the week, it also provided me with the opportunity to network with educators from around the globe." Afshan Waheed of Perth Amboy said, "What a wonderful experience! Awesome! I wish I could go there every year." Edison Mayor Jun Choi said "I am very pleased with the Club?s support of science, engineering and technology education, a vital component of future competitiveness. We are pleased that local area teachers got to learn with teachers from across the country, Europe and Latin America."

Ram Iyer, President of the MIT Club of Princeton, said "As alumni of the premier institute for science, engineering and technology, we want to do our part for the communities we live in. Last year, we sponsored one teacher for the SEPT program at MIT; this year, it was five.

For the remainder of the article please see the attached press release.
July_2008_SEPT_Program_PRESS_RELEASE_July_2008_24972.doc

MIT Club Sponsors FOUR Teachers to attend SEPT Program

The MIT Club of Princeton is pleased to announce that we will sponsor four (4) high school teachers to attend this summer's MIT Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT) in June 2008 at the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The teachers selected to attend the program are: Michael Condurso, Kimberly Murray, William McMullen and Afshan Waheed. Meet these outstanding candidates below as we present a brief biography and overview of their interests.

Meet Michael Condurso, 2008 SEPT Program

Hello, my name is Michael Condurso, and I am a Technology Education teacher at Bordentown Regional High School in Bordentown, New Jersey. I have been teaching for nine years, and at Bordentown for the last five years. It has been my mission to provide students with a broad experience in technology education. I have introduced the following courses at BRHS: Engineering, Design & Technology; Mechanical and Architectural Drafting; and Robotics. I am looking forward to attending the MIT SEPT to learn from the best in order help me raise the level of student achievement and generate new curricula.

Meet Kim Murray, 2008 SEPT Program

For the past 14 years, I have been a teacher at Lenape H.S. in Medford, NJ. Currently, I teach Honors and AP Chemistry. As a teacher, I am probably most known for getting my students excited about Chemistry through my innovative chemical demonstrations and laboratory activities. Whether it is setting demonstrations to music or performing my witch routine at our annual 'Chemistry Spooktacular' on Halloween, I truly love my profession. I have initiated a ChemClub at Lenape this year which is a pilot program supported by the American Chemical Society. In addition, I have initiated Science Outreach programs with our sending elementary schools to help promote a greater interest in the physical sciences. By attending MIT's SEPT program, I am hoping to enhance my districtýs curriculum and instruction by fostering the district's goal of a 'leading edge curriculum'. To me, there is no greater educational tool than being able to share real experiences regarding cutting-edge research. By integrating the knowledge that I gain at MIT, I will continue to encourage my students to pursue careers in science and technology.

Meet William McMullen, 2008 SEPT Program

After receiving a master's degree from Rutgers University in science education I began my career teaching freshman science and physics at John P. Stevens High school in 1986. I taught freshman science, chemistry and physics at South Hunterdon Regional High School for one year in 1989 before returning to the Edison township school district teaching earth science and life science at Thomas Jefferson middle school. In 1993 I returned to John P. Stevens where I presently teach both college prep and honors physics. Through my teaching career I have taught every grade level from 7th to 12th grade and all major subjects. I have also coached varsity boys soccer for 21 years and freshman wrestling for 19 years at J.P. Stevens. The experience of that diversity has made me a better teacher. Teaching different grade levels has aided me in understanding my students' science education history. This knowledge helps me clarify possible misconceptions that arise during my physics class.
The desire to assist young students in understanding how the world around them actually functions is the greatest pleasure of teaching. The week spent at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will help further my knowledge which will transfer to my students. I have spent summers at Manhattan College in New York and Cambridge University in England and will enjoy the opportunity to spend time with teachers and engineers at MIT.

Meet Afshan Waheed, 2008 SEPT Program

Hello, my name is Afshan Waheed. I've taught life science in two very different settings (Pakistan and the USA) and enjoyed every bit of it. Apart from the cultural differences, my students have had the same requirements and responses. I have an M.A. in Education from Kean University and an M.Sc. in Biology from Punjab University in Pakistan. Currently, I'm employed in the Perth Amboy High School and trying to facilitate learning in my students by using hands on activities and interactive labs. We use the computer quite often to investigate, research and conduct web quests, and make presentations.

This workshop will help me serve my students in a better way. Use of technology in presenting the material and allowing them to learn using interactive lab simulations, web quests, Internet lessons and scavenger hunts help students enhance their learning abilities. Our students are in need of developing good research skills, and understanding scientific processes. I strongly believe the integration of technology helps young minds develop better understanding of the subject matter in today's fast paced tech world and that computer based research is a good source of learning.

Invent Like Edison Lecture

The Club traveled to Rutgers, the largest university in NJ where we had a very dynamic and informative lecture by the head of the Edison Papers Project @ Rutgers, Dr.Paul Israel and Thomas Edison's great grand niece Sarah Caldicott.

Sarah discussed the Five Competencies of Innovation that Edison used to become the most prolific inventor in American history. For her latest book, Innovate Like Edison, Sarah conducted her research and worked with Dr. Israel, the world's leading Edison historian. They formed a great presenting pair. Paul with his extensive knowledge of Edison and his work, and Sarah with her interpretations and family insights, educated and informed a group of alumni, high school students and members of the public. It was heartening to see many young people at the event.

World Hurricane Expert from MIT Comes to Princeton

That was a fantastic talk. Prof. Emanuel is one of the world's experts on the physics of hurricanes. His study of physical oceanography and atmospheric physics provides his a unique perspective of how these incredible phonemena occur. While discussing the history of hurricanes, their names, Mayan roots for the name hurricane and their formation, development and ultimate demise, Prof. Emanuel also discussed the effects of coastal human inhabitation on climate change. While he does not see much change in the number of annual hurricanes, he sees an increase in intensity over the years.

The event was attended by about 75 MIT alumni,several local high school students and the general public (because of the writeup in US-1). The talk was preceded by a showing of the PBS Nova documentary 'Hurricane Katrina: The Storm that Drowned a City'.

MIT Club Dinner with Harbo Jensen, President of MIT Alumni Association

On Thursday, November 1, 2007, the MIT Club of Princeton hosted a dinner for volunteers in the Princeton area with special guest, Harbo P. Jensen, PhD '74. Dr. Jensen is the 113th President of the MIT Alumni Association with a term for the 2007-2008 year.

The dinner was held at the home of Ram Iyer, President of the MIT Club of Princeton. There were 23 alums, many Education Counselor volunteers, a parent connector, board members and some new faces. There were also four past presidents of the club in attendance. Dr. Jensen spoke about recent events at MIT and current initiatives underway. He previewed pictures of some of the new buildings that have gone up on campus and engaged the audience with a discussion of the energy and biotech initiatives of President Susan Hockfield. To view additional photos of the dinner, see our Harbo Jensen Dinner album.

Harbo Jensen, PhD '74, is the Vice President of international technical services for Chevron, where he's worked since 1974. His earlier roles at Chevron have included research engineer and research chemist, project supervisor for land & development, manager of state legislation, and senior advisor on the foreign operations staff.

Mr. Jensen's volunteer career for MIT began in 1975, and he has served in leadership roles for the MIT Club of Northern California including president, vice president, director, and chairman; on the MIT Corporation; on the Alumni Association Board of Directors; and as a longtime fundraiser for the Institute. He currently serves on visiting committees for the departments of nuclear science and engineering, materials science and engineering, and biological engineering. His leadership and fundraising abilities earned him the Alumni Association's Harold E. Lobdell '17 Distinguished Service Award in 1986 and the Bronze Beaver in 1994.

Our sincere thanks to Dr. Jensen for his visit and lecture.

WHYY Tour by MIT Alumni

55 Alumni from our club and the MIT Club of Delaware Valley got a
special treat on a Saturday afternoon - a tour of the studios of WHYY in downtown Philadelphia conducted by Bill Marazzo, CEO and Bill Weber, CTO of WHYY. We had a first-hand look at the technology used for creating, editing and transmitting the radio and TV shows. We also got to spend a few minutes with Terry Gross, host of the NPR show Fresh Air. Bill Weber explained the upcoming transition to digitial broadcasts. Following the tour, some of our alumn got together at a nearby restaurant for an early dinner.

To view additional photos of the tour, see our WHYY Tour album.

MIT Club tours Princeton Plasma Physics Lab

On September 29, Club members, with families and guests, took a most interesting tour of Princeton University's Plasma Physics Laboratory, located on Route One near Princeton. The Lab is a collaborative national center for plasma and fusion science, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The tour began with a video presentation about fusion energy, which is the energy source for our sun, and a candidate for a future source of electrical energy -- once the many scientific and technological problems are solved. A number of worldwide efforts on fusion energy were also described.

Following the video, a technical presentation about fusion was given by Dr. Richard Hawryluk, deputy Director of the Lab, and an MIT graduate. He then took our group on a tour of the experimental part of the facility. He showed us one major experimental device that is in operation, and another that is in the construction phase.

We came away with an appreciation of the advantages of fusion energy, and of the problems remaining to be solved before it can be an economically viable source of electrical energy.

Following the tour, we met at a nearby restaurant for lunch.

Fall 2007 Newsletter

Click on the link below to view our Fall Newsletter and a preview of plans and upcoming programs for the 2007-2008 year. We offer something for everyone- from our Lecture Series, to Social and Gourmet Events, to plant tours, and Family oriented trips and outings. Join us for our membership kick-off on October 4th at Sotto's. We look forward to seeing you there!
Fall 2007 Newsletter

Summer BBQ a big success

On Saturday, August 11th, the MIT Club of Princeton held its annual summer picnic at the home of Win and Linda Cody, in Cranbury NJ.

We had a wonderful turnout for the picnic and approximately 60 people attended the event on a near perfect summer day. It was great to spend the afternoon with fellow alums and enjoy such wonderful food, fellowship, and delightful conversation. Everyone enjoyed relaxing near the scenic pool and many, particularly the children, enjoyed a refreshing dip on a warm summer afternoon.

The burgers, hotdogs and chicken kebabs were expertly prepared by our master chefs and the food was accompanied by a bountiful array of salads, side dishes, fruit, desserts and an assortment of refreshing beverages. Thank you to everyone who helped organize things inside and keep the wonderful food coming to the tables.

A special thanks to our hosts, Win and Linda Cody, for opening their beautiful home and pool to us and making this year's picnic such a wonderful event! It was a wonderful way to start off the new membership year and we look forward to seeing all our members at events throughout the year!

To view additional photos of our summer picnic see our Summer BBQ 2007 album.

Summer BBQ

Thanks again to our grill team- Eberhard and Shahla Wunderlich, Matt Halpin and our gracious host, Win Cody!

Check out the latest news from Tech

From information on President Hockfield's vision to construction updates to innovations and inventions, you can get the latest information on news from campus from the MIT news office.

MIT Club of Princeton Sponsors Teacher for MIT Science and Engineering Program

The MIT Club of Princeton, serving the Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni of central New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is pleased to announce that it will sponsor Mr. Michael McFadden, a Hunterdon Central High School teacher, to attend this summer's MIT Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT).

MIT, in conjunction with its respective alumni clubs across the world, select approximately fifty teachers each year to attend SEPT for one week during the summer. The program is designed to share MIT's perspective on how engineers apply the principles of science to meet the technological needs of society. The selected teachers attend presentations on the frontiers of science and math; sessions on the synthesis, processing, properties, and performance of materials; and discussions on the design and manufacture of engineering systems that affect the quality of life on Earth (e.g. water treatment, healthcare, international commerce, and energy conversion).

Ram Iyer, President of the MIT Club of Princeton, said "As alumni of the premier institute for science and math, we want to do our part for the communities we live in. We are proud to sponsor Mr. McFadden as part of our alumni club's ongoing effort to promote science and mathematics within K-12 education across central New Jersey. Mr. McFadden is a lifelong learner and is passionate about teaching science and math. Spending time at MIT will benefit him, his school and his students." Iyer added, "The competitiveness of the US in the global economy is largely dependent on our ability to excel in science and math. Developing more and better science and math teachers and encouraging more students to pursue an education in science and math is good for the world our children will live in."

To view the press release, please click on the link below.
MIT Club of Princeton SEPT press release

MIT Club of Princeton hosts IvyPlus Winetasting

The MIT Club of Princeton hosted an IvyPlus winetasting event on Sunday, April 29, 2007. According to Larry Ward, VP of Partnerships, over 35 members and their guests attended the event which was held at Crossing Vineyards in Washington Crossing, PA.

Attendees enjoyed tasting an assortment of wines and cheeses in an intimate setting and a good time was shared by all! Tom Carroll, Sr., one of the owner's of the winery, proved to be an entertaining host with a tremendous sense of humor. He eagerly imparted his extensive knowledge of wine and attendees learned quite a bit about the various wines, wine tasting, and the winemaking process, among other things. The evening was accompanied by fine conversation, good humor, laughter and learning as guests were treated to a spectacular view of the vineyard's 15 active acres.

Guests enjoyed the evening so much, that the event lasted well beyond the two hours originally planned. More than half the attendees stayed for the tour which took place following the wine tasting. Tom Sr. mentioned we were one of the most jovial and engaging groups he has had the pleasure to host at the winery. No doubt, he was also quite pleased at the amount of wine attendees purchased at the event's conclusion!

Attendees represented a diverse set of institutions including Vassar, Brown, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Cornell, Bryn Mawr, Harvard, U Penn, Wellesley and Barnard. In addition, there were guests from SUNY, Penn State, Rosemont, Temple and other alma maters.

IvyPlus Winetasting at Carroll Vineyards

The MIT Club of Princeton wishes to thank all who attended for your participation and for making the event an overwhelming success that was nearly filled to capacity. Our special thanks and appreciation to our Crossing Vineyard's host, Tom Carroll Sr., and Larry Ward, MIT Club of Princeton, VP of Partnerships, for arranging the wine tasting and tour.

MIT Club of Princeton, Professor Ezekiel Spring Lecture

About 40 people, young children, high school students, alumni and guests, gathered in the Princeton Township Municipal Complex Auditorium on Thursday April 12 for an enlightening talk by professor Shaoul (Ziggy) Ezekiel of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Electrical Engineering at MIT. Dr. Shaoul (Ziggy) Ezekiel presented an informative and interactive lecture on "Understanding the Laser Revolution Lasers, the solution to almost all our problems". He discussed how the laser light is revolutionizing our lives now, and will even more in the future. Lasers are transforming the fields of communication, medicine, entertainment, environmental monitoring, information processing, materials processing, sensors, imaging, warfare, and on and on. He asked the audience, "Who has never played a CD / DVD, or seen a barcode reader, or a laser printer, or a hologram"? There is hardly an area that has not been touched by the laser. Many agree that we are indeed in a laser revolution. He further explained, in an understandable way for a general audience, the nature of this fantastic source of "light", how it is created, and how it is being applied to incredibly large and diverse areas that are becoming so important to us. He brought into light some provocative predictions of how laser light might impact our lives in the future.

MIT Club of Princeton launches Ivy Plus activities

The Ivy Plus is a well-established worldwide brand of academic institutions that principally includes the Eight Ivies and MIT and Stanford. The principal purpose of our network will be to foster fellowship among Ivy Plus alumni clubs in the Central NJ area. Ivy Plus provides an opportunity for Ivy Plus alumni to meet each other for social as well as business networking. Larry Ward, MIT Club of Princeton, VP of Partnerships has established peer contacts among MIT, Stanford, the eight Ivy, the Seven Sisters, Wharton, Emory and Duke alumni clubs. The MIT Club of Princeton plans to organize one major event each year. Current plans are for a Spring Wine Tasting in 2007. For more information, click on the article below, or contact Larry Ward at lward@alum.mit.edu

Ivy Plus Description

Professor John Nash Lecture

We had an outstanding talk by Nobel Laureate, Dr. John Nash on November 15th. The lecture was attended by 85 MIT alums and their guests in a packed room at Rider University. Dr. Nash presented his paper on 'Ideal Money' and fielded questions from the audience that probed various aspects of his presentation and sought his opinion on present day economic issues. Dr. Nash discussed the history of monetary systems and their comparative quality and merits. He also discussed the possible evolution of better quality currencies in the world under the influence of changing patterns of orientation such as 'inflation targeting'. Also present at the talk, were Dr. Nash's wife, Alicia, an MIT alum herself, and their son Johnny. A great time was had by all!
To review the photo gallery of the Nash lecture, click on the link below:
Dr. John Nash Photo Slideshow.

The MIT Club of Princeton wishes to express its gratitude to Dr. Nash and his wife Alicia. We also wish to extend a special thanks to board members Alicia Nash, Gary Pajer, Nancy Hall, Larry Ward, Shahla and Eberhard Wunderlich, and to Ram Iyer and all who assisted in planning and coordinating the evening. Thanks to all who attended. We look forward to your continued support and involvement in the MIT Club of Princeton's events.

Fall 2006 Newsletter

Click on the link below to view our Fall Newsletter and a preview of plans and upcoming programs for the 2006-2007 year. We offer something for everyone- from our Lecture Series, to Social and Gourmet Events, to plant tours, and Family oriented trips and outings. Join us for our membership kick-off on October 26th at Sotto's. We look forward to seeing you there!
MIT Club of Princeton Fall Newsletter

Welcome from our President

MIT Club of Princeton's new President, Ram Iyer, welcomes alumni across Central New Jersey and Buck's County, PA and shares his thoughts on new directions for the Club's next generation.
President's Letter

MIT Club of Princeton kicks off Reason to Belong Campaign

The MIT Club of Princeton, serving the Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni of Central NJ and Bucks County, PA is excited to announce its new board of volunteers and kick off its "Reason to Belong" Campaign. Click on the article link below for more details.
MIT Club of Princeton Press Release

Apple Picking at Terhune Orchards

The Apple Picking event at Terhune Orchards on October 15 was a success. Although it had rained 7 straight days before the event, the sun finally broke through the clouds on Saturday morning and the weather was beautiful. Club members and their families enjoyed lunch, live music, farm animal petting, a walk on the nature trail, pumpkin painting, and a wagon ride before heading over to the orchards to pick some delicious apples. All in all, it was a great way to enjoy some family fun and make new friends.

Annual update

Click on the link below to view the annual update for a review of 2004-05 events and a preview of plans for 2005-06.
Annual update