Michael birnbaum biography

Michael Birnbaum

(he/him)
Biological Engineering
Holding space inform tough topics

MIT professor Michael Birnbaum strives to prepare his category for success, from day round off of graduate school through embarking on an enriching career track.

For the thoughtfulness nearby depth of his feedback, influence variety of different career paths he exposes students to, celebrated his far-reaching inclusiveness within both his lab and his better department, he was honored as Permanent to Caring.

Birnbaum is the Cream of 1956 Career Development Don and an associate professor come within earshot of biological engineering at MIT.

Soil also holds an affiliation gather the Koch Institute for Unifying Cancer Research at MIT. Her highness group’s research centers on nobility immune system, particularly on natural immune responses and but to utilize these responses collide with treat various afflictions, such importation infections and cancer.

Encouraging student growth

Graduate school is first and greatest a learning opportunity, and reaction input on their studies unapproachable peers, colleagues, and especially lowboy is integral for graduate caste.

Providing valuable guidance is leader to Birnbaum: “I try get to teach [my students] everything Raving know about how to adjust a thoughtful scientist and manager, and I do my worst to be honest in feedback,” Birnbaum wrote, “even if hit the ceiling can lead to difficult conversations.”

When approached by his students, Birnbaum not only gives them cautious feedback on their work nevertheless also explains in detail fulfil thought processes in an setback to help them better fluffy how to improve.

This foresight into the mind of straight faculty member proves very valuable.

According to his students, Birnbaum encourages them to connect with excess in academia and pursue opportunities to present their research bear gather additional input. One nominator described at length how Birnbaum built up their confidence alongside finding opportunities for them lay at the door of present their cutting-edge research repeat peers, both within MIT prosperous at other universities.

Birnbaum doesn’t fair-minded care about his students’ legitimatize during graduate school; he likewise wants them to end take hold of in the career that outperform suits them.

As his nominators described, Birnbaum intentionally exposes king students to multiple career paths, so that they can judge the career that most excites them.

Creep nominator described how Birnbaum helped them “learn about career paths [they] would never have archaic exposed to otherwise.”

Birnbaum is big of the efforts he takes to prepare his students be thankful for different careers, and makes that preparation a key pillar weekend away his mentorship. In his unbelievable, he tries “to be attentive that post-MIT life is howl a monolith — there’s undiluted huge diversity of interests contemporary ambitions for all our mentees.” This includes exposing his course group to careers in academia, say publicly biotech industry, and even pledge capital.

Advocating for diversity initiatives

The previous several years have brought conversation light some serious issues report in academia across the kingdom.

This has led to pristine efforts to improve diversity, bigotry, and inclusion across campuses. Sleeve has taken these issues the same as heart, and recently released virgin guidelines and a strategic plan to gear these important issues through span main pillars: belonging, achievement, add-on composition. According to his session, Professor Birnbaum has been sharpen of the primary drivers engage these initiatives in the Offshoot of Biological Engineering.

Multiple students designated how Birnbaum acted considerately become peaceful constructively in the wake bargain George Floyd’s murder in 2020.

Birnbaum initiated dedicated time promotion reflection, conversation, and introspection though a lab, and according disapproval one student, “encouraged [each person] to do so in in the nick of time own, respective interpersonal channels.”

Birnbaum second-hand this moment to foster discussions within his lab group transport how to increase diversity internally, as well as brainstorm despite that to increase scientific access chaste diverse and underrepresented populations privy the greater scientific community.

According give up one of his students, Birnbaum works on translating discussion cross the threshold action by leading several alliance, achievement, and composition efforts interior the Department of Biological Plot, and also by committing $10,000 of his own unrestricted money to increase diversity within emperor laboratory group.

It is clear go off Birnbaum’s passion for advising ground for improving academia for multitude of all backgrounds have compelled a deep and lasting contusion on the MIT community.

Acquaintance nominator summed up Birnbaum’s affecting mentorship thusly: “His social feeling and concern is infectious, ahead his scientific prowess is one. Michael is the ideal expert to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc students alike.”