MIT Engineering Welcomes New Faculty Cohort
Faculty across six academic units joined MIT's School of Engineering during 2026, with research spanning a broad range of disciplines.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Materials Science
The MIT School of Engineering welcomed new faculty members across six academic units in 2026. The new cohort conducts research across a diverse range of disciplines.
Why it matters
The additions expand engineering research capacity at MIT, a major institution in Cambridge, across mechanical, aerospace, biological, chemical, and electrical engineering. Faculty with appointments in EECS and IDSS report into both the School of Engineering and the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing, linking the hires to cross-school work.
The announcement covers new faculty across six academic units, with appointments starting between January and September 2026. The source does not specify the number of individual hires, their specific research projects, or funding sources.
The players
MIT School of Engineering
The engineering school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that oversees academic departments including mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering.
Paula T. Hammond
Dean of engineering at MIT and an Institute Professor, leading the School of Engineering's academic and research direction.
The details
Faculty joined the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nuclear Science and Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Paula T. Hammond, dean of engineering and an Institute Professor, is named in the announcement.
Timeline
January 2026: Several new faculty joined MIT engineering departments.
March 2026: Hengyun Zhou joined EECS as an assistant professor.
July 2026: Jake Hecla and Stylianos Varchanis joined as assistant professors.
September 2026: Edward "Jas" Bordeau Brooks joined EECS as an assistant professor.
The Big Picture
The joint reporting structure for EECS and IDSS faculty follows the model set by the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing, which links engineering departments to computing research across the Institute. The 2026 hires continue that pattern of cross-school appointments.
For students and researchers, the new appointments add faculty in mechanical, aerospace, biological, chemical, and electrical engineering at MIT. Prospective graduate applicants and collaborators can use department listings to identify the new faculty's research areas.
The takeaway
Engineering departments at MIT are adding faculty across multiple disciplines throughout 2026, and interested readers can follow department announcements for details on individual researchers' work.
Further reading
Explore more on Materials Science research and the academic departments shaping the field in Cambridge.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
