Hockfied stands with two of her advisees, Bhatia Lab graduate student Jesse Kirkpatrick and Susan Su, who unveiled the dedicated marker. Credit: Gretchen Ertl
On October 4, 2019, MIT's North Court was renamed in honor of Susan Hockfield, MIT’s 16th—and first female and first life scientist—president. Festivities included a reception and a dedication ceremony with music and remarks given by Robert Millard '73, chairman of the MIT Corporation, James Champy '63 SM '65, lifetime member emeritus of the MIT Corporation, and Paula Hammond '84 PhD '93, the David H. Koch (1962) Professor of Engineering and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering. Among the many achievements noted was the establishment of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. Hockfield's advocacy for the convergence of biology and engineering helped lay the foundation for this building—which, as Hammond pointed out, is the site with the highest rate of intra-MIT co-authorship as well as the top inventing building on campus. We are grateful for Hockfield's championship and proud that our "backyard" will bear her name.
Photo credit: Gretchen Ertl