MIT Club of Southern California

MITCSC’s very own Nithya Raman MCP ‘08 and City Councilmember 4th District announced today she is running for L.A. Mayor 👏👏👏👏

Let’s show our support for Nithya, a change agent who has the head and heart to tackle some of LA’s biggest challenges!

Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman on Saturday announced her candidacy for mayor of L.A., joining a crowded field hours before a filing deadline. https://abc7.la/4r0c58B

Happy holidays from MITCSC!🎄🕎 ✨ A stellar group of Board members, alums, family and friends enjoyed a Holiday Lights Walk in the Upper Hastings Ranch neighborhood of Pasadena on Saturday. In its 74th year, the beloved ‘Holiday Light Up’ tradition gave tribute to 80 homes lost in the Eaton fire. Check out this week’s newsletter for more community events: https://bit.ly/4ahPf74

Congratulations to these FOUR outstanding women from MIT who were selected as 2026 Rhodes scholars! One of the scholars, Sofia Lara, hails from Los Angeles. Ms. Lara is a senior majoring in biological engineering with a minor in Spanish. As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, she will pursue a DPhil in clinical medicine, leveraging UK biobank data to develop sex-stratified dosing protocols and safety guidelines for NHS.

Lara co-founded the MIT-Harvard Future of Biology Conference, convening multidisciplinary researchers to interrogate vulnerabilities in cancer biology. As president of MIT Baker House, she steered community initiatives and executed the legendary Piano Drop, mobilizing hundreds of students in an enduring ritual of collective resilience. Lara captains the MIT Archery Team, serves as music director for MIT Catholic Community, and channels empathy through hand-stitched crocheted octopuses for pediatric patients at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Good luck to Ms. Lara and all 32 Rhodes Scholar winners 👏👏👏👏

Four from MIT have been named 2026 Rhodes Scholars. Vivian Chinoda ’25, Alice Hall, Sofia Lara, and Sophia Wang ’24 will begin postgraduate studies at Oxford University next fall. https://news.mit.edu/2025/four-mit-named-2026-rhodes-scholars-1115

MITCSC's first official fall newsletter is out (link below). Explore ways to engage with the Club and please share!

https://alumcommunity.mit.edu/html_document?id=1410444

21 June 2025 (Saturday)

Our MITCSC Annual Brunch is one week away! RSVP now to hear from our public service leadership panel, including 3 MIT alums that are SoCal city councilmembers in their respective communities! We'll also have exhibits from CalState Northridge STEM Fellows and Faculty, and limited-edition MITCSC beaver plushies for sale!

Event page: https://alumcommunity.mit.edu/topics/23420/events/130227

alumcommunity.mit.edu We've just received our shipment of MITCSC beavers to debut at next weekend's annual brunch - RSVP to join us and claim yours before they sell out!

MIT President Sally Kornbluth during today’s Class of ‘25 commencement ceremony:

“I need you all to become ambassadors for the way we think and work and thrive at MIT. Ambassadors for scientific thinking and scientific discovery. For thoughtful research of every kind — here, and at universities across the country. For the importance of research to the advancement of our nation — and our species. And ambassadors for the limitless possibilities when we understand, appreciate and magnify each other’s talent and potential, in a thriving global community.”

Hank Green urges the Class of 2025 to work on “everyday solvable problems of normal people” The 2025 OneMIT Commencement ceremony featured calls for MIT’s newest graduates to have a positive impact on society while upholding the Institute’s core values of open inquiry and productive innovation.

Six from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2025 MIT professors Lotte Bailyn, Gareth McKinley, Nasser Rabbat, Anne Whiston Spirn, Susan Silbey, Catherine Wolfram were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2025.

Congratulations to Brad Waller '86 on his recent election to Redondo Beach City Council representing District 1! Brad brings a modern, technology-driven perspective to his role as City Council Member. Here's a bit about his journey in his own words:

I have always been passionate about making a positive impact in my community, and this drive led me to pursue a role in city government. My journey began with my involvement in local education, where I served on the Redondo Beach Unified School District Board of Education for eight years. I also served on the SoCal ROC Board of Education, contributing to both educational and community development.

My professional background as a business owner and my active engagement in community organizations, including leadership roles within the PTA at local, state, and national levels, provided me with a strong foundation in advocacy, strategic planning, and community service. I believe that my experience in both the public and private sectors uniquely positions me to address the diverse needs of our city.

Running for City Council was a natural progression of my commitment to the community, as I sought to apply my skills and experience to enhance public safety, support local businesses, and improve infrastructure and city services. I am honored to now serve as a City Council member for District 1, focusing on initiatives that strengthen our community and foster sustainable growth. To learn more, visit https://www.redondo.org/government/mayor_and_city_council/council_1.php

Celebrate spring in Southern California with the MITCSC community! We have a great line-up of events throughout the LA region including a Nobel Reception in San Marino, Ice Hockey in Ontario, Bowling in Tustin, US Courthouse Tour in Santa Ana, and Angels Baseball in Anaheim. RSVP via links below 👇

🏆 3/27 Nobel Reception with Prof. Moungi Bawendi - Quantum Dots & Unexpected Applications https://bit.ly/4hIbOSy

🏒 3/30 Colorado Eagles @ Ontario Reign Hockey https://bit.ly/4leXdkz

🎳 4/13 Orange County Bowling https://bit.ly/4hZEGWB

👨🏻‍⚖ 4/24 US Courthouse Tour with Judge Holcomb '84 https://bit.ly/4c8WVr5

⚾ 5/4 Detroit Tigers @ Anaheim Angels https://bit.ly/4iIXKcQ

ICYMI check out our Club newsletter that dropped today featuring hosted events to fit everyone's interests.

Join local MIT and Harvard Club alumni and colleagues for a fall mixer with U.S. District Judge John Holcomb at Knobbe Martens on 10/23, and an AI and autonomy talk with Dr. Susan Hockfield hosted at on 11/6. Register via link below!

Link to newsletter: https://alumcommunity.mit.edu/html_document?id=1049036

Become a MIT Club of Southern California member today to be invited to an exclusive event with President Emerita Susan Hockfield on AI and autonomy! Invitations will go out exclusively to Club members tomorrow so renew your membership by end of day today.

Go here => https://alumcommunity.mit.edu/topics/23420/memberships

It's unofficially the official end of summer! Check out this week's MITCSC newsletter to learn how you can engage with the club (link at bottom). We're still searching for a Board Secretary and Sloan Reps for Orange County and Inland Empire. Please contact President John Ward to learn more!

Thanks to all our Board members and volunteers who make our recurring socials, events and programs a reality! Special shout out to our VP of Programs Anu Sood for all his programming efforts and mentorship.

https://alumcommunity.mit.edu/html_document?id=1009209