RAK 2021

by Kimeee Heatley | March 1, 2021

To add to the virtual “gratitude chain”: https://physics.mit.edu/wp-login.php?action=wp-saml-auth&redirect_to=https://physics.mit.edu/physics-rak-2021-virtual-gratitude-chain/


Send a high five/celebrate someone

I would like to thank the 8.01 and 8.02 staff!! I was very nervous (and still am) about taking them, but all the support from the 8.01 and 8.02 staff has made them the classes I look forward to the most! Thank you so much to Professor Dourmashkin for staying over time for office hours, and I could not be more grateful to Mohamed for both his recitations and his review sessions! Even though he is busy with his own family, he always finishes the review sessions at night and answers every question! Thank you so, so much!

March 5, 2021 at 11:36 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

Thank you to the many grad students who joined in the Admission process this year! Here’s looking at you – PhysGAAP mentors, GAGA brainstormers and data crunchers, Admission Committee members, MSRP coordinators, student ambassadors and recruiters, and virtual Open House organizers.

March 5, 2021 at 3:19 pm


Self-Care Ideas

Please be sure to get outside every day. I’m finding it really helps my sense of well being.

March 5, 2021 at 8:57 am


Send a high five/celebrate someone

Thank you to Hillary and Professor Bertschinger for being amazing advisors this school year. You both rock! Definitely the top two people to watch Interstellar with for the intriguing physics commentary alone!

March 3, 2021 at 8:02 pm


Send a hug to someone

A special thank you to Prof. Tegmark for being a fantastic and enthusiastic Astro professor! Pushing to engage our class, especially this week, shows the dedication and commitment to wonder that inspired me to choose MIT a year ago. Thank you for reminding us why course 8 is so awesome and worthwhile no matter how daunting a topic may be. You are truly out of this world!

March 3, 2021 at 7:59 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

Thank you to the physics department as a whole for being so supportive and amazing, especially during this pandemic. I have had a rough year, so managing classes and work has been tough, but I have been shown nothing but kindness and compassion from all the physics professors and TAs whom I’ve worked with. You all are amazing, and you have made such a positive impact on my well-being in this year!

March 3, 2021 at 2:24 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

I’d like to thank our recitation squad- Mohamad, Joshua, and Emily. You guys rock!

March 2, 2021 at 10:30 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

I am super grateful for my new labmates in Vuletic lab, I enjoy every day of my work there.

March 2, 2021 at 6:26 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

A big shout out to Hicran Arnold for building an ENTIRE Finance and Research Administration Database in the middle of a pandemic. I am so happy we are on a team together, you are an inspiration =D (insert rays of sunshine)

March 2, 2021 at 5:07 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

I want to thank Mohamed Abdelhafez from the bottom of my heart for all the time, effort, and dedication he has put into teaching 8.01 and now 8.02. I have not been in his class either semester, but his review sessions are where everything starts to make sense and he is a wizard on Piazza. I have never had such an amazing physics teacher and he has had a monumental impact on my education thus far. THANK YOU!

March 2, 2021 at 3:19 pm


Self-Care Ideas

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. this is my symphony.”

― William Ellery Channing

March 2, 2021 at 2:26 pm


Send a hug to someone

Cathy, Syd, Emma, Denise, Karma for all the work in the APO!!

February 28, 2021 at 6:24 pm


Send a hug to someone

Thanks to Cathy, Sydney, and the rest of the admins for having our backs every time!

February 26, 2021 at 8:16 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

Thanks to all the administrators that work tirelessly to keep MIT Physics afloat, fill any leaks that keep appearing, and help us make the best out of this difficult time.

February 26, 2021 at 6:14 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

Thanks to Makinde and Cedric for helping overhaul the MSRP process and make opportunities for research more available to those are and have been systematically excluded. Little by little, you are making MIT physics a better place.

February 26, 2021 at 5:41 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

Shout-out to my Friday moral support group! Here’s to remembering that even the best of us have bad days, but that doesn’t make you guys any less brilliant or less delightful to be around. Graduate school wouldn’t be the same without you! Hugs!

February 26, 2021 at 4:18 pm


Send a high five/celebrate someone

huge high five to Rahul Jayaraman, Mason Ng, & Wenzer Qin for their important work on the grad admissions committee!!!!

February 26, 2021 at 3:43 pm


What makes you smile/laugh

Here’s a treat from a great friend of the department 🙂 :

Thanks for passing this along to us!

February 26, 2021 at 3:38 pm