Cultivators of research | MIT News

“Intelligent, caring, inspiring, and full-of-wisdom,” one student described Kenneth Oye. Another lauded that “We are beyond lucky to have such a caring, supportive, empathetic and compassionate leader” in Maria Yang.

Professors Maria Yang and Kenneth Oye are two of the 2023-25 Committed to Caring cohort, acknowledged for encouraging their students; advocating for meaningful, interesting research; and participating in their research journey from the beginning to end. For MIT graduate students, the Committed to Caring program recognizes those who go above and beyond.

Maria Yang: Inclusion and continual fostering

Professor Maria Yang is the deputy dean of engineering, Kendall Rohsenow Professor, and professor of mechanical engineering. She works in the area of design theory, with a focus on the early stages of the process of design. Her current research interests include the hybrid ways in which humans and AI can collaborate during the design process and also ways in which we can design products to encourage users to behave more sustainably.

Yang has been selected as a recipient of the Committed to Caring award for 2023-25. She is known for her inclusive, interdisciplinary work as well as her continuous fostering of students.

Yang founded and leads the Ideation Laboratory at MIT, which is characterized by interdisciplinary work in design, including product design, engineering design, and system design. Students may not feel like they “fit” in their traditional department, but find a home in the Ideation Laboratory. In Yang’s words, her students “collaborate and connect from their shared experiences.”

Yang is one of the mentors of a student-led research project that works toward understanding how users, and other stakeholders who are traditionally not considered, are embedded in design education and practice, and how to support deeper engagement with such users and stakeholders. Yang supported her students on this project in multiple ways, providing mentorship and feedback as well as supporting her students to apply for grants to continue growing the project.

The students and Yang held a first-ever summit as a part of this project. The summit brought together faculty and students from MIT as well as other universities and companies. All the summit stakeholders are working to support instructors in thoughtfully considering users and stakeholders in their courses, and are striving to create a community for students and instructors engaged in this space.

“Maria will never take credit for the outcomes of the project, giving all the credit to other members of the project team,” the nominator wrote, “but she has been instrumental in supporting us and encouraging us to continue.”

Yang continued to be a supportive and caring mentor, championing and supporting students’ work. When one nominator was still a prospective student, Yang met with them in support of their application. When the student was eventually admitted into the Media Lab rather than mechanical engineering, Yang welcomed the student into her research group.

As the student’s career evolved, Yang became a member of their thesis committee and provided letters of recommendation for their academic job search. The nominator turned to Maria for advice on how to strategize what applications they would submit and which departments were the best fit for them.

Yang took time to sit with the student, practiced their presentation with them, and gave support where the student was lacking confidence. All in all, Yang helped them have the strength to continue to achieve their goals, ultimately enabling them to earn their PhD.

The nominator was grateful for the crucial role Maria played in fostering their growth: “My MIT experience would have been very different without Maria.”

Kenneth Oye: Inspiring advisor and caring mentor

Oye is a professor of political science and data systems and society as well as the director of the Program on Emerging Technologies (PoET). His work revolves around international relations, political economy, and technology policy. His current work in technology policy centers on adaptive management of risks associated with synthetic biology and pharmaceuticals and on equity in health policy.

Oye has been selected as a recipient of the Committed to Caring award for 2023-25. He is a highly effective instructor, influential advisor, and considerate mentor.

Oye teaches with clear and easy-to-follow language filled with personal stories and rich experiences. His lectures are interactive and engaging so that learners can truly internalize the material. His students gain understanding with curiosity and intent.

A nominator wrote that Oye encourages his students to investigate broadly. Oye offers frequent advice on improvements in research design and shared analysis techniques. “He acknowledged my effort and ideas,” the nominator shared, “but also always encouraged me to explore further.”

The student added that parts of their dissertation were challenging, but Oye transformed it into an enjoyable intellectual quest.

Oye emphasized that he cares about the work that is produced; however, he equally attends to his students as individuals. He consistently starts weekly meetings with check-ins and concerns himself with each of his student’s well-being and personal development.

Students feel comfortable coming to Oye when they need to share their strife and seek counsel. Their mentoring relationship had built such trust, one nominator remarked, that when the student faced some personal challenges, “Ken was the first person I thought of that I could share my struggles with safely and ask for advice.”

As an instructor, an advisor, and as a mentor, Oye has helped his students learn and grow beyond the classroom.

One of his students wrote, “Oye’s truly a gem to learn from and work with, and I believe he has been a great asset to MIT’s generations of students.”

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