Saluting the unacknowledged champions of the Establishment
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) celebrated its annual Excellence Awards ceremony on a notable occasion this year, as the event marked the introduction of the Collier Medal. Established in 2013, the Collier Medal is an annual award that recognises significant contributions made by individuals or groups within the MIT community.
The award, named in honour of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, who was tragically killed in the line of duty last April 18, holds great significance at MIT. While the exact field or criteria for the award are not explicitly detailed, it seems to honour outstanding achievements, likely related to scientific, technological, or research excellence, in line with MIT's focus.
This year, the awards expanded to include the Collier Medal, as a tribute to Officer Collier's memory. The first Collier Medal was presented to MIT Emergency Medical Services (MIT EMS) volunteers, who were praised for their leadership and problem-solving skills by MIT President L. Rafael Reif. The recipients were also awarded a cash prize of $2,000, a snow globe containing a replica of MIT's Building 10, and often received a cheering ovation from their colleagues.
Twelve members of MIT Medical were also recognised with "Sustaining MIT" awards for their efficient flu clinics that vaccinated 25% of the MIT community. Notably, the MIT EMS volunteers were not among the recipients of the "Sustaining MIT" awards this year.
In a surprising turn of events, Alison Alden, MIT's outgoing vice president for human resources, was awarded an Excellence Award. The recipients of these awards are nominated by their peers and selected following careful evaluation by a committee of MIT staffers.
The Collier Medal's indirect connection to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is rooted in the Centre's historical role in NASA’s achievements. However, the direct linkage of the Collier Medal to Goddard or space exploration specifically is not explicitly stated.
In summary, the Collier Medal at MIT serves to recognise exceptional contributions by individuals or groups, possibly in science and technology disciplines, as part of MIT's broader tradition of celebrating excellence and innovation. The award represents an annual peer or institutional acknowledgment that emphasises impactful work in these areas.
- The Collier Medal's recognition of the MIT EMS volunteers highlights the importance of workplace-wellness, particularly mental-health, within the MIT community.
- The snow globe given to the Collier Medal recipients symbolizes health-and-wellness, with a replica of MIT's Building 10 inside, representing a sense of belonging and home.
- The MIT Emergency Medical Services volunteers' leadership and problem-solving skills, recognized with the Collier Medal, also extends to their expertise in fitness-and-exercise, evidenced by their efficient flu clinics.
- The press might find it interesting to explore how energy-related research and achievements could potentially become criteria for future Collier Medal recipients, given MIT's focus on scientific and technological innovation.
