Talk Title: Leveraging molecular symmetry to explore unique magnetochemical properties of iron-sulfur clusters

Struggling to stay on track with your writing? This four-session workshop series will help you navigate common challenges and develop strategies for a more productive writing process. We will explore how to manage your time and set realistic expectations, harness perfectionism to your advantage, build a strong working relationship with your dissertation advisor or PI, and use constructive procrastination as a tool for maintaining a healthy writing routine. Each session will be interactive and designed to equip you with practical skills to improve your writing habits.Pre-registration is required to participate and light refreshments will be served.

Come join us as we celebrate the opening of the MIT-LUMA Lab! Full agenda can be found on the Eventbrite page linked above.Global Commons and New Ecologies: The Inaugural Convening of the MIT-LUMA LabA landmark collaboration between the MIT School of Architecture and Planning and the LUMA Foundation, the MIT-LUMA Lab will champion research, creative practice, and pedagogy that address regional and global climate challenges. The lab will operate at the nexus of climate science, technology, art, ecology, and design.The MIT-LUMA Lab’s inaugural convening, Global Commons and New Ecologies, will feature public presentations, film screenings, and celebrations. Speakers from MIT, LUMA, and beyond will elaborate on the Lab’s mission to design for climate resilience and forge new paths for collaboration through research, practice, and innovation.Please note: This is a multi-day event. The first day of this event will be held on April 2, from 4:15 pm to 7:30 pm at the MIT Media Lab, 6th Floor (75 Amherst Street, Building E14-648). The second day will take place on April 3, from 10:15 am to 5:15 pm at the MIT ACT Cube (20 Ames Street, Building E15-001).

Speaker: Evita Nestoridi (Stony Brook)Title: Shuffling via transpositionsAbstract: In their seminal work, Diaconis and Shahshahani proved that shuffling a deck of $n$ cards sufficiently well via random transpositions takes $\frac{1}{2} n \log n$ steps. Their argument was algebraic and relied on the combinatorics of the symmetric group. In this talk, I will focus on a generalization of random transpositions and I will discuss the underlying combinatorics for understanding their mixing behavior and indeed proving cutoff. The talk will be based on joint work with S. Arfaee.

Are you a sophomore (or first year) and considering a career in medicine? Join Prehealth Advising for an info session on how to develop a strong application for medical school and other health profession programs. Attendees will learn receive an overview of the medical school application process along with information on MCAT timelines and test prep, strategies for volunteering & shadowing, and the pros & cons of applying as a junior or taking a gap year.This event will focus on sophomores, but ALL students & alumni are welcome to attend!

A Special Lecture Series Presented by the MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society and the Knight Science Journalism ProgramJoin us on Wednesday, April 2nd, from 5:15-6:45 pm in E51-145 for a special talk by Usha Lee McFarling.Radical Collaborations and Entrepreneurial Energy: Building a Thriving Science Journalism EcosystemFrom the moon landing to the sequencing of the human genome, science journalists have chronicled technology’s most transformational moments and its thorniest debates. Today, despite the critical need for such illumination and discussion, the field of science journalism faces threats both economic and political. In this talk, Usha will discuss the current landscape, and explore ways the field and its dedicated community of practitioners can meet these challenges through powerful new collaborations, an entrepreneurial spirit, and by embracing some of the central tenets of the humanities such as creativity, a focus on values, and deeper explorations of ambiguity. These new pathways are needed to ensure accurate information about science and technology reaches the general public for informed decision-making, an essential part of a functioning democracy, but also to allow that public to explore science more fully and to experience its beauty, joy, and wonder.About Usha Lee McFarlingUsha Lee McFarling is a national science correspondent for STAT. She previously reported for the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, and the San Antonio Light. Her work on the diseased state of the world's oceans earned the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism and a 2006 Polk award. Her reporting has also earned the Victor Cohn prize for excellence in medical science reporting, the Bernard Lo, MD award in bioethics, and numerous other awards. Usha graduated from Brown University with a degree in biology and later earned a master's degree at UC Berkeley after spending years studying the behavior of desert woodrats. She was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow from 1992-3.To Attend the LecturePlease fill out this RSVP form if you plan to attend in-person. The talk is free and open to all members of the MIT community. We hope to see you there!