Dear Octet,

Welcome to our first newsletter in 2023! We trust that you enjoyed a festive Christmas and New Years and are experiencing a promising start to the new year. January at MIT is filled with new learning experiences and exposures. Known as IAP (Independent Activities Period) month, students choose from a host of classes that range from wine tasting, metal arts, to Octet's own offerings: "Disagreeing Well" and "Science, Ethics, and Technology in Industry." For Octet, IAP was a rich time of engaging with faculty, staff, students, and alums over these topics and a reminder of the many ways we can support flourishing wherever we may be. We hope that you enjoy reading through this month's issue!

With gratitude and best wishes,

Mia Chung-Yee

Executive Director

• Read Nathan Barczi's latest essay titled "Chaos & Control."
• Listen to David Skeel's presentation on the overturning of Roe v. Wade from Octet's second Intellectual Hospitality event in December.
• Enjoy brief conversations featuring Gabriela Hott Soares and Troy Van Voorhis.
• Hear from Rosalind Picard on the Infinite Corridors podcast.

Chaos & Control

Senior Theologian Nathan Barczi explores the goodness of creaturely limitations, and their meaning for humanity’s calling to exercise control and bring order out of chaos.

David Skeel's Presentation

David Skeel, S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, discussed the overturning of Roe v. Wade at the second Diálogos Intellectual Hospitality event.

Save the Date for Diálogos: Sexuality, Gender & Technology with Andy Crouch

On February 23rd, the Octet Collaborative invites faculty, staff and alumni for the third Diálogos event with Andy Crouch, Partner for Theology and Culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship.

Octet Hosted Two IAP Courses

In January 2023, the Octet Collaborative hosted two courses open to MIT alumni, faculty, staff and students. Over the four week period, both classes offered stimulating conversation with attendees from a range of backgrounds. Thank you to everyone who participated. We look forward to hosting IAP classes in January 2024.

Year End Campaign – Thank You!

Because of your generosity, Octet raised $46,872 between November 22, 2022 and January 31, 2023. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support during this campaign!

Scholarly News

Cullen Buie answers three questions on MIT startup company Kytopen and developing safer immunotherapies.

Danielle Wood was awarded a NASA Applied Sciences grant in collaboration with the Angolan National Space Agency to work on drought response in Angola.

Daniel Hastings was appointed by the White House to the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group.

Ian Hutchinson has spent decades studying fusion energy and has made significant contributions to plasma research.

Rosalind Picard contributed to a peer-reviewed article on using positive psychology robotics to improve the wellbeing of college students.

Rosalind Picard,

Founder & Director of Affective Computing Research Group at MIT Media Lab

Rosalind Picard joins Nathan Barczi for the second installment of Octet's podcast, Infinite Corridor: Stories of Faith at MIT, on taking risks and the complementary nature between her scientific research and her Christian faith.

• MIT Solve announces more than $1 million in funding available through the 2023 Global Challenges and Indigenous Communities Fellowship. Listen to Octet's interview with Sue Kim, Head of Global Partnerships and Philanthropy of MIT Solve, here.
• Researchers from MIT, Google Research and Stanford University are exploring in-context learning that language learning models, like OpenAI's Chat GPT-3, use to accomplish new tasks.

Ministry News & Events

• The MIT Tech Catholic Mission Spring Retreat is Feb. 17-19. Learn more here.
• The Asian Christian Fellowship is hosting its Winter Retreat Feb. 17-19. Learn more here.
• Octet is co-sponsoring a Veritas Forum with the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship on March 2 at 7 pm in the MIT Wong Auditorium. The event, titled "Can We Engineer a Perfect World?," features a conversation between Tyler Vanderweele, Epidemiology Professor at Harvard University, and Steven Pinker, Psychology Professor at Harvard University, moderated by MIT's Rosalind Picard.