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Generating Invention"Most Innovative Techies." That's what MIT really stands for, according to Tom Magnanti, dean of the School of Engineering. And there is ample evidence. For over a century, MIT's identity has been intertwined with inventions by faculty, students, and alumni. Samples include the first chemical synthesis of penicillin and Vitamin A; microwave radar; the magnetic core memory, which enabled the development of the digital computer; five-day weather forecasting; life-cycle theory of finance; and inertial guidance systems for spacecraft. The particular innovative techie under Magnanti's gaze recently was Brian Hubert '96, PhD candidate in mechanical engineering and winner of this year's Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness. Hubert, who holds patents for a printed plastic memory chip and a superconductor fabrication system, is also a concert pianist and composer--and an example of how MIT grows inventors. MIT stimulates invention in varied ways including renowned student contests ranging from robot design battles to the MIT $50K Entrepreneurship Competition. MIT's Technology Licensing Office does a lively business with 329 patents filed and 150 issued in 2000. Inventiveness has become a tradition: MIT faculty and alumni have won 47 Nobel Prizes, including 22 in physics. Invention is what people do at MIT with their minds and hands. This month, openDOOR looks at how MIT supports invention and inventors. Focus on Inventors and Inventions Teaching and Learning Invention Inventing at MIT |
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Institute of Technology