Call for nominations: MacVicar Faculty Fellows Program

Dear faculty colleagues,

I invite you to recognize the exceptional teachers among your peers by submitting a nomination for the MacVicar Faculty Fellows Program. The program honors the life and contributions of the late Margaret MacVicar by recognizing and enhancing outstanding undergraduate teaching at MIT.

Excellent teaching can be defined in many ways. While there is no one template for outstanding achievement, the nominee should demonstrate accomplished classroom teaching. The nominee will have made exceptional contributions to undergraduate education, including course development or renewal, innovative pedagogies, or curricular reform. The nomination also should address the significance of a candidate’s contribution beyond the classroom. This may include serving as an advisor or mentor, or similar activities that demonstrate a commitment to MIT’s undergraduates as whole students. MacVicar Fellows exemplify sustained commitment to the formal and informal learning that makes an MIT undergraduate education unique.

All full-time members of the regular faculty are eligible for appointment as a MacVicar Faculty Fellow, regardless of rank or any concurrently held position, such as an endowed chair. Tenured fellows are appointed for a 10-year term. Junior faculty members are eligible for a three-year fellowship, which can be converted to a 10-year fellowship if tenure is granted, with the total duration of the appointment not to exceed 10 years. The expectation of sustained contributions makes it unusual for junior faculty members to be appointed, especially early in their time at the Institute. Fellows receive $10,000 per year of discretionary funds for educational activities, research, travel, and other scholarly expenses.

The selection process is competitive and a nomination must include a primary letter documenting the contributions of the nominee to undergraduate education, three to six supporting letters from faculty, three to six from students, and the nominee’s curriculum vitae. One letter must be from the nominee’s department head.

Information about the MacVicar Faculty Fellows Program, including the nomination process, requirements, and tips for a successful application, are available on the Registrar’s Office website.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, November 21, 2025. Nomination packets should be sent to the Registrar’s Office Curriculum & Faculty Support team by emailing a single PDF file to macvicarprogram@mit.edu.

If you have any questions about the nomination process, please contact Assistant Dean Piero Chacon at pieroc@mit.edu or 617-253-9763.

Sincerely,

Anantha P. Chandraksan
Provost