Dear Incoming First-Year TPP Students,

We look forward to seeing many of you at the Econ Review sessions in mid-August and will see the rest of you at the TPP Orientation on August 29!  Please read this e-mail carefully as it provides information and dates for the start of your Technology and Policy studies.  There is additional information from MIT’s ‘Practical Planning Guide’ at http://web.mit.edu/admissions/graduate/planning_guide/

Before your arrival:
Face Book (attached questionnaire):
Each year we prepare a TPP �Face Book� for Orientation to help you to learn more about the other TPP students.  Please take a moment to complete and return the attached form by Friday, August 17.  If you have difficulty opening it, please update your Adobe Acrobat software or contact us for another form.

Thompson Island / Outward Bound Professional Medical Form (attached):
All incoming TPP students will participate in an overnight Outward Bound program on September 21 and 22, as part of Dava Newman�s Leadership class.  Please provide your medical information* on the attached Medical Form and return it to us as an attachment, even if you cannot complete all the necessary details.  We will give you an opportunity to complete and sign the form during Orientation week, when we can also take your blood pressure, if necessary.  *In most cases, your medical insurance will be the MIT Medical coverage offered to students.

Research:
If you have not yet found a research supervisor, please send me an e-mail with an updated description of your interests and a list of the people whom you have already contacted or tried to contact.  We will let you know of any additional suggestions we have for your search.

Tuition Bills and Funding:
You will receive your first tuition bills before you arrive at MIT and late fees will start to accumulate on unpaid bills.  If you expect to receive MIT research, teaching or fellowship funding for your tuition, please do NOT pay these bills before starting your studies here, as it is complicated for MIT to issue tuition refunds and late fees will be resolved once your MIT funding source is identified.  However, if you expect to provide your own personal, employer, or outside scholarship funding, please pay your tuition on time to avoid late fees.  Your non-payment of fall tuition should NOT compromise your fall registration.

Monday � Friday, August 20 -24

Microeconomics Review, Monday � Friday, Schedule TBA (to be announced):
These optional review sessions are recommended for incoming TPP students whose Econ skills are �rusty�.  Students will participate in the Sloan MBA Econ Pre-Term sessions from 1:00 � 2:30 every day and TPP will supplement these with some TPP-focused Econ reviews.

TPP Question and Answer Sessions, Schedule TBA:
TPP staff and continuing students will be available to answer questions for incoming TPP students at several Q and A sessions in the TPP Lounge.  Schedule TBA.

Food and Social Events, Monday, August 20 and Thursday, August 23:
Incoming Students are invited to join staff and continuing students for informal lunches in the TPP Lounge.

Monday � Friday, August 27 � September 1:

MIT Orientation Week
Many events will be provided by the Graduate Student Council, TPP, and others.  The GSC Orientation Schedule is at http://web.mit.edu/gsc/www/firstyear/orientation/schedule_2007.pdf. Some special events require a ticket, which you can find at the GSC info booths during the week.  Of special note:

Grad School 101, Monday, August 27 and Tuesday, August 28
These sessions are highly recommended and also provide an opportunity to meet MIT graduate students in other programs.

English Evaluation Test for non-native English speakers, Tuesday, August 28, 9 � 12.
All non-native English speakers must take MITs English Evaluation Test on Tuesday morning, August 29.  If you believe that you should not be required to take this test, please contact me to let me know why.

TPP ORIENTATION (required for incoming students), Wednesday, August 29:
Information about TPP academic requirements, research, and community are provided by TPP staff and students, and by MIT researchers. 
Light breakfast and lunch buffets will be provided.  We will forward further details and the agenda soon.

Week of Monday � Friday, September 3 � 7

Labor Day (MIT Holiday), Monday, September 3
TPP offices will be closed, but there will be MIT Orientation events on Labor Day weekend.

Class Registration, Tuesday, September 4, 10:00 � 3:00
Students meet with Sydney in the TPP Lounge to discuss their class selection and get a signature before submitting their forms to the MIT Registrar.

ESD BBQ - Welcome back BBQ for all students.  4 - 6. Details to be announced.

 First Day of MIT Classes, Wednesday, September 5

TPP Resume-Writing and Job Search Workshop, Internship Seminar, Wednesday, September 5, 12 - 2, TPP Lounge

Re-Orientation for Returning TPP Students, Wednesday, September 5, 4:00 � 5:30
The TPP Reorientation on Wednesday September 5 is required for all continuing TPP students.  Incoming students are welcome to attend as this information is designed to supplement the focus that the TPP orientation places on the first year at TPP.  We will provide information about degree completion, including the TPP thesis approval process and time-line, MIT dual degrees, and the ESD doctoral program.

TPP Welcome Back Dinner, Wednesday September 5, 5:30 � 6:30
Incoming and Continuing TPP Students meet and socialize in the TPP Lounge.

Resume-Writing and Job Search Workshop, Wednesday, September 5, 12:00 � 1:30 (date to be confirmed)

Technical Writing Test, Friday, September 7

Later in the Term:
Thompson Island Outward Bound Professional, Friday - Saturday, September 21 - 22

This is a lot of information and there is much still to be finalized and clarified.  Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.  We look forward to seeing you on campus in a few weeks!

Best regards,
Sydney

This June, the sixth Annual Meeting of the Technology and Policy Graduate Consortium will be held.  The Consortium (which includes programs at MIT, Carnegie Mellon, George Mason, the Technical University at Delft, Netherlands, Instituto Superior Technico in Lisbon, Portugal, Harbin Institute of Technology in China, Simon Fraser University in Canada, and Cambridge University, UK) was established to provide an opportunity for students pursuing graduate degrees in areas of technology and policy to present their research and discuss areas of common concern and interest.  Over the past six years, it has been a valuable forum for faculty and students to exchange information and share experiences.  Previous Consortium meetings have been hosted by Delft University, George Mason, Cambridge University, IST in Lisbon, and by MIT TPP.

We are hoping to have at least 4 TPP/TMP/PoET students represent MIT at this year’s meeting, which will be hosted by the Engineering and Public Policy Program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh from June 24-26th .  Participating students will present their research at the meeting, either as an oral or poster presentation.  The students will also be responsible, collectively, for preparing a summary report on the meeting.

TPP will nominate students to the EPP faculty, who are responsible for this year’s agenda.  Nominated students will be chosen to participate based on their stated interest and the research they would present.  Students selected for posters will be asked to submit their draft posters to us for review before finalizing them.  Students selected for oral presentations will be expected to do one or two practice presentations for review before the meeting.

Students should ask their advisors about financial support to travel to this conference and present their research.  PoET Fellows can use their travel funds for this.  TPP has some funding available for students whose research supervisors are not able to support their travel.  Students sponsored by TPP to attend the doctoral consortium will have their reasonable travel expenses covered.  Details will be provided to the students chosen to participate.

If you are interested in participating in the consortium meeting on June 25-27, please forward to us (Renee, Dava, Frank) a brief proposal for participation.  Please follow these directions carefully.  You must include:

1. a brief (1-2 paragraph) statement outlining a) your reasons for wanting to attend; b) what you expect to get out of the meeting; and c) your willingness to help prepare a summary report of the conference.   Please note your expected graduation date and your preference to present orally or to do a poster.  (Generally posters are more appropriate for students at an earlier stage of their research.)
2. an abstract (2-3 paragraphs) of the research you would present at the meeting.
3. a statement that you either have travel funding or are requesting travel funding from TPP.  If you are requesting TPP funding, please explain why your advisor can’t support your travel.  If you have any special circumstances (e.g. traveling from somewhere other than Boston, a free place to stay in Pittsburgh), please note them.

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

• Proposals are due by Friday, April 20th.  We will let students know if they are selected within a few weeks of then.
• Emailing instructions:  Please put “Graduate Consortium proposal” as the subject line of your email.  Please name your abstract  “lastname abstract.doc” and make sure your name and abstract title are in the document itself!  Please put your statement for (1) and (3) above in the body of the email.

Deadline December 1, 2006
Benjamin Siegel Prize
The Benjamin Siegel Prize of $2500 is awarded to the MIT student submitting the best written work on issues in science, technology and society. The Prize is open to undergraduate and graduate students from any school or department of the Institute. The paper must be a single-author work, of no more than 50 pages, written within the last two academic years. Students should submit one hard copy to: Siegel Prize Committee, STS Program, E51-185.

Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (SSGF): 
http://www.krellinst.org/ssgf/    This fellowship is for exceptional graduate students planning full-time study toward a PhD. in the areas of interest to stewardship science, such as high-energy density physics. low-energy nuclear science, or properties of materials under extreme conditions.  Recipients receive payments of all tuition and required fees for up to 4 years of study, $32400 yearly stipend, yearly academic allowance of $1000, and opportunity to complete a practicum at a national DOE laboratory. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent resident aliens. Applicants must apply online at https://www.krellinst.org/ssgf/application. 

Application submission and supporting materials must be received by February 20, 2007.

Thursday, November 30 - Deadline for Far East Internship Applications, 5:00 pm.
Initial applications for summer internships at the Far East Organization are due.  Students should send Sydney an updated resume and a draft of a proposed cover letter for a paid internship at FEO in Singapore during summer 2007.  Further details and requirements will be sent to successful applicants.

Friday, December 8 - Deadline for IAP Washington Internship Trip Applications, due by 5:00 pm
This year’s trip will be from Tuesday evening, January 30 - Friday, February 2.  Designed for first-year TPP students - travel to DC to learn about careers in Technology and Policy.  Presentations and meetings, mostly with TPP and/or other MIT alumni currently working in technology and policy at a variety of agencies, think tanks, NGOs and private organizations.  Alumni/Student reception.  Students interested in attending should send Sydney their updated resume and a paragraph describing their internship/ job goals.  Further details will be sent to interested students.

IBM’s Senior VP of Enterprise On Demand Treansformation and Information Technology Linda Sanford will speak in 34-101 on Tuesday, October 17, beginning at 4:00 pm. The topic will be “Engineering Systems Solutions to Real World Challenges.” The event, co-sponsored by IBM and MIT’s Engineering Systems Division, is open to the public. A reception with refreshments will follow.

Ms. Sanford leads the strategy for IBM’s internal transformation to the industry’s premier on demand business. In this role, she is responsible for working across IBM to transform core business processes, create an IT infrastructure to support those processes, and help create a culture that recognizes the value that on demand leadership can bring to IBM.

Previously Ms. Sanford was Senior Vice President & Group Executive, IBM Storage Systems Group, where she helped take IBM from fifth place in storage market share to second in two years. Prior to assuming that position, Ms. Sanford headed IBM Global Industries, the organization that manages relationships with IBM’s largest customers worldwide and is responsible for generating almost 70 percent of IBM’s revenue.

One of the highest-ranking women at IBM, Ms. Sanford is a member of the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame and the National Academy of Engineering. She has been named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Business by Fortune Magazine, one of the Top Ten Innovators in the Technology Industry by Information Week Magazine, and one of the Ten Most Influential Women in Technology by Working Woman Magazine.

Ms. Sanford is the chairman of The Business Council of New York State, Inc. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Partnership for New York City, ITT Industries, St. John’s University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Ms. Sanford co-authored “Let Go To Grow: Escaping the Commodity Trap” a book that details how successful companies are pursuing strategies to drive long-term growth and innovation. The book was published by Prentice Hall in December 2005.

A graduate of St. John’s University, Ms. Sanford earned an M.S. in Operations Research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Details of this event are at http://esd.mit.edu/HeadLine/calendar/2006/101706sanford.html

This event is part of the IBM-MIT/ESD Innovation Lecture Series. Each session will demonstrate how today’s leaders and practitioners are using engineering systems and services sciences approaches to address complex problems. Drawing from real-life examples, the series will explain how these approaches were applied at IBM and other organizations, and demonstrate how to achieve breakthrough solutions that deliver sustained value to enterprises and society as a whole.The next event, which will feature senior executives from the healthcare industry, is scheduled for December 14, 2006. Details TBA.

I wanted to let you know that Yoko has officially started her maternity leave and we do not expect her back in the office until February. She will be taking some time to rest up at home before she is due to give birth and we promise to pass along any news, once we get it. Yoko plans to check her e-mail occasionally in the next weeks and months and I’m sure that she would appreciate receiving e-mail messages of your best wishes, if you’d like to communicate with her.

We will be staffing the office with some temporary and interim help. Danielle Kayal started last week and is here until the end of the week and Shane Newell is expected to start next week for a longer period. I know that you will work with them as they endeavor to get acquainted with you and with TPP/MIT. There’s a lot to learn and we particularly appreciate your assistance during this busy time.

Please help us to keep the area tidy and clean, let us know about any dwindling supplies in the Lounge and Computer Lab, and try to manage any administrative or other needs in a timely manner, sharing information, suggestions, and solutions with us and with each other.

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5th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FAIR

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Interested in international development?Want to see or get involved with MIT development-related groups and projects?

COME TO THE 5th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FAIR @ MIT

WHEN: Friday, September 29, 1-3PM

WHERE: Lobby 13

WHO: 50 groups will be present to talk about what they do and how you can get involved.

Please check the International Development Network’s web site at http://web.mit.edu/idn/ for more information or send your questions to idn-contact@mit.edu

SPONSORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK AT MIT (web.mit.edu/idn/)

Hi First-year TPP Students,

As we announced at the TPP orientation, Dr. Bill Lehr (his email address is: wlehr@mit.edu) is interested in working with TPPers and willing to meet with interested students either tomorrow or Thursday around 11am. He is a busy person. If you are interested in telecom/Internet and would like to meet with him, please contact him to make an appointment as soon as possible. When you arrange a meeting, please do not forget to let Yoko know, so that she can send your application materials to him.