Giving

Give Now

The Campaign for Math

MIT's Department of Mathematics has consistently been ranked the top Math Department in the country. This is partly because the department's research mission is broad and ambitious, and partly because heavy emphasis has been placed on attracting the best faculty in all areas of mathematics.

This extraordinary faculty — some of the most brilliant minds, across a wide spectrum of disciplines — likewise attracts the brightest students, both graduate and undergraduate. As faculty members approach new problems on the frontiers of knowledge, they simultaneously train the talented young mathematicians of the future. Graduates of the math department can be found on the faculties of major universities and colleges all over the world, as well as in government, business, and industry.

Given the crucial role the faculty plays in its successes, the math department's greatest challenge now is renewal.

Support the Department Today

Nearly 40 percent of our tenured math faculty members are over the age of 65 and nearing retirement. Other mathematics departments across the country have similar age distributions. Intense competition for top mathematicians to replace retiring faculty is already evident. In the past few years alone, we lost a significant number of our top faculty to other departments. We simply have to act aggressively to retain our people and to recruit others.

Support for Faculty

Named professorships through endowed chairs are one way to make this happen. If MIT Math is to stay at the top, we must find, attract, and retain the most promising and accomplished mathematicians worldwide. The department must be able to match — or exceed — offers from other schools. An endowed chair is a visible way to recognize and reward outstanding researchers and educators. It is one of the most lasting and significant gifts a donor can make to MIT. Simply put, an endowed chair accomplishes two things: It provides a permanent legacy to honor scholarship, teaching, and research for the chair holders, and it reflects the benefactor's abiding commitment to MIT.

Support for Graduate Students

In order to ensure that our program continues to attract the very best students, we must offer graduate fellowships. Currently, only 60 percent of our incoming graduate students receive fellowships, due to the limited number we have available. By contrast, most other top mathematics departments offer nearly all incoming graduate students a first-year fellowship or equivalent. Graduate students need fellowships during their first year because it gives them a chance to complete coursework, begin research, and become accustomed to a new environment, free of the added responsibility to teach or grade papers. With its distinguished, award-winning faculty and brilliant students, the Mathematics Department remains a cornerstone of MIT. Clearly, we want to make certain that we have the resources to build on our past. It is worth repeating that now is a crucial time for mathematics at MIT, as we are making decisions about faculty and research that will shape the future of this department. Our friends and alumni play a vital role in ensuring the continued greatness of this department. Our goal is to expand the number of opportunities for our alumni and friends to become involved in our enterprise.

Naming Opportunities

Named Chair	$3 million
Fully Endowed Fellowship	$1 million
Endowed One Semester Fellowships	$500,000
Expendable Fellowship (one year)	$60,000

Gifts in all amounts are invaluable to the following Department funds

Math Department Special Needs 3879500

Math Endowed Fellowship Fund 3157290

For more information, please contact:

Erin E. McGrath
Director of Development, Mathematics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Bldg 4-309
Cambridge, MA 02139
p:617-452-2807 f:617-253-8554
emcgrath@mit.edu