Leadership announcements from around the Institute – September 2026

Featured in September 2026 newsletter

Faculty members play critical leadership roles at the Institute, school, and DLCI levels. Here are the faculty leadership appointments made since May 21, 2026.

In June, Provost Chandrakasan announced the appointment of Chris Zegras, professor of mobility and urban planning, as the next CEO and director of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), effective Sept. 1.

Myriam Heiman was named director of The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory in June 2026. Heiman, who studies neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, will begin her new post on July 1.

Lerna Ekmekcioglu, the McMillan-Stewart Professor of History, was named head of the History Section, effective July 1.

David Autor, the Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professor in the MIT Department of Economics, was named head of the Department of Economics, effective July 1.

Ana Miljački, the Francis White Davis Professor of Architecture was named head of the Department of Architecture for the School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P), effective on July 1.

Bolek Wyslouch, the Jerrold R. Zacharias Professor of Physics, stepped down as director of the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science (LNS). Jesse Thaler, the William and Emma Rogers Professor of Physics, was named the new LNS director, effective Aug. 1.

Arthur Bahr was named head of the MIT Literature Section, effective July 1.