Dear AeroAstro Community,

It has been a busy month for us as we begin to put our discussions about department culture into action! The 2020 MIT AeroAstro Strategic Plan is open to all members of our community — faculty, staff, students, and alumni — to provide feedback on the mission, vision, values and research and educational priorities of the Department. The deadline to review, comment and vote for your colleagues’ ideas is Nov. 21 . 

In keeping with our commitment to improve the culture of our department, we have reinvigorated our Spot Recognition Program for staff. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this program to recognize the valuable contributions of our support, administrative, technical and research colleagues who do exceptional work above and beyond their typical duties. Going forward, we will highlight recent winners in future issues of the Roundup. Learn more about the program.

Lastly, Hamsa and I are excited to announce the formation of the AeroAstro Student Advisory Committee, which will provide advice on student issues and other relevant topics to Department leadership. These may include quality and content of their educational programs, facilities for students, community events, culture, etc. Inaugural members of the Student Advisory Committee include: Charlotte Lowey, Becca Browder, Cody Karcher, Humberto Caldelas, Tesla Wells, and Gabriel Owens-Flores.
 
Though we have a lot of hard work ahead of us, it is an exciting time to be part of this Department as we work together to shape our future.