MIT Welcomes 11 New Faculty Members in Computing and Shared Positions

Strategic Insights -

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) welcomes 11 new faculty members to the MIT community, spanning various backgrounds and expertise in sustainable design, satellite remote sensing, decision theory, and declarative artificial intelligence programming. These scholars will bring their diverse research interests and experiences to the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and other departments and sections.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new faculty members include Amanda Diehl, Dan Huttenlocher, Bailey Flanigan, Brian Hedden, Yunha Hwang, Ben Lindquist, Mariana Popescu, Paris Smaragdis, Daniel Varon, Mark Rau, Mitchell Gordon, Omar Khattab, and Rachit Nigam, who will join the MIT community in January 2026.
  • These faculty members will occupy core computing and shared positions, contributing to a wide range of research areas, including sustainable design, satellite remote sensing, decision theory, and declarative artificial intelligence programming.
  • New hires include those with appointments in EECS or IDSS, which report into both the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and the School of Engineering, as well as several shared positions between the college and other MIT departments and sections.
  • The new faculty will bring varied backgrounds and expertise to the MIT community, including experience in machine learning, decision theory, and sustainable design.
  • The Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) and the School of Engineering have adopted the shared faculty search model to hire their first shared faculty members: Daniel Varon and Mark Rau.
  • The new core faculty includes Mitchell Gordon, Omar Khattab, and Rachit Nigam, who will join EECS and CSAIL in January 2026.

Statistics:

  • A total of 20 faculty members will hold shared positions between the.mit Schwarzman College of Computing and other MIT departments and sections.
  • MIT has hired six additional faculty members in shared positions, with a total of 20 faculty members in these positions.
  • The new faculty members bring expertise in a wide range of areas, including sustainable design, satellite remote sensing, decision theory, and declarative artificial intelligence programming.
  • The MIT community will benefit from the diverse research interests and experiences of the new faculty members.

Sources:

  • MIT Press Release, "11 New Faculty Members Join the MIT Community" (October 17, 2025)
  • MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, "Meet the new faculty members" (October 17, 2025)