The program recognizes outstanding mentorship of graduate students.
At MIT, a strong spirit of mentorship shapes how students learn, collaborate, and imagine the future. In a time of accelerating change — from breakthroughs in artificial intelligence to the evolving realities of global research and work — guidance for technical challenges and personal growth is more important than ever.
The Committed to Caring (C2C) program recognizes the outstanding professors who extend this dedication beyond the classroom, nurturing resilience, curiosity, and compassion in a new generation of innovators. The latest cohort of C2C honorees exemplify these values, demonstrating the lasting impact that faculty can have on students’ academic and personal journeys.
The Committed to Caring program is a student-driven initiative that has celebrated exceptional mentorship since 2014. In this cycle, 18 MIT professors have been selected as recipients of the C2C award for 2025-27, joining the ranks of nearly 100 previous honorees.
The following faculty members comprise the 2025-27 Committed to Caring cohort:
- Iwnetim Abate, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Abdullah Almaatouq, MIT Sloan School of Management
- Marc A. Baldo, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Anantha P. Chandrakasan, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Anna-Christina Eilers, Department of Physics
- Herbert Einstein, Department of Civil and Environment Engineering
- Dennis M. Freeman, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Daniel Hidalgo, Department of Political Science
- Erin Kara, Department of Physics
- Laura Lewis, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Lina Necib, Department of Physics
- Sara Prescott, Department of Biology
- Ellen Roche, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Loza Tadesse, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Haruko Murakami Wainwright, Department of Nuclear Science
- Fan Wang, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
- Forest White, Department of Biological Engineering
- Bin Zhang, Department of Chemistry
Since its launch, the C2C program has placed students at the heart of its nomination process. Graduate students across all departments are invited to share letters recognizing faculty whose mentorship has made a lasting impact on their academic and personal journeys. A selection committee, consisting of both graduate students and staff, reviews nominations to identify those who have meaningfully strengthened the graduate community at MIT.
The selection committee this year included: Zoë Wright (Office of Graduate Education, or OGE), Ryan Rideau, Elizabeth Guttenberg (OGE), Beth Marois (OGE), Sharikka Finley-Moise (OGE), Indrani Saha (History, Theory, and Criticism of Art and Architecture, OGE), Chen Liang (graduate student, MIT Sloan School of Management), Jasmine Aloor (grad student, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics), Leila Hudson (grad student, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), and Chair Suraiya Baluch (OGE).
“I wanted to be part of this committee after nominating my own professor in the last cycle, and the experience has been incredibly meaningful,” says Aloor. “I was continually amazed by the ways that so many professors show deep care for their students behind the scenes … What stood out to me most was the breadth of ways these faculty members support their students, check in on them, provide mentorship, and cultivate lifelong bonds, despite being successful and pressed for time as leaders at the top Institute in the world.”
Guttenberg agrees, saying, “Even when these gestures appear simple, they leave a profound and lasting impact on students’ lives and help cultivate the thriving academic community we value.”
Nomination letters illustrate how the efforts of these MIT faculty reflect a deep and enduring commitment to their students’ growth, well-being, and sense of purpose. Their advisees praise these educators for their consistent impact beyond lectures and labs, and for fostering inclusion, support, and genuine connection. Their care and guidance cultivates spaces where students are encouraged not only to excel academically, but also to develop confidence, balance, and a clearer vision of their goals.
Liang underlined that the selection experience “has shown me how many faculty at MIT … help students grow into thoughtful, independent researchers and, just as importantly, into fuller versions of themselves in the world.”
In the months ahead, a series of articles will showcase the honorees in pairs, with a reception this April to recognize their lasting impact. By highlighting these faculty, the Committed to Caring program continues to celebrate and strengthen MIT’s culture of mentorship, respect, and collaboration.
