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After escaping the Nazis, Josef Eisinger PhD ’51 went on to an impressive scientific career — and a joyful life. “I was never just an artist, or just a scientist, or just a lumberjack,” he says. “I wanted to pursue all of them, to try everything.”

When Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated in 2003, some nematode passengers survived, leading Catharine Conley ’88 — the experiment’s PI — to examine the implications for astrobiology. It also led her to a new NASA role: planetary protection officer.

“To all the parents out there chasing dreams while nurturing little ones, keep going,” says Diana Grass, a mother of two and PhD student studying links between the nervous and immune systems. “You’re not just building your future; you’re inspiring theirs.”

Through MIT’s 2N program and the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, naval officers gain the technical skills they need to lead projects in the Navy. Being a full-time master’s student at MIT while also serving his country “is probably the best job I’ll ever have,” Adam Pressel says.

Saeed Miganeh’s work is helping answer important questions about designing effective programs for poverty mitigation and economic growth in African countries. “Africa is the new battleground for fighting global poverty in the 21st century,” he says.