--- title: why-support-mit-openlearning --- [![MIT Open Learning](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo%20ol-impact%20site.png?width=300&height=60&name=Logo%20ol-impact%20site.png "MIT Open Learning")](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/2025-2026-impact-of-open-learning?hsLang=en) [Give](https://giving.mit.edu/give/to?fundId=3894990) [Sign up for news](http://eepurl.com/hVEi2v) [![MIT Open Learning](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo%20ol-impact%20site.png?width=300&height=60&name=Logo%20ol-impact%20site.png "MIT Open Learning")](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/2025-2026-open-learning-impact-report?hsLang=en) - [Give Now](https://giving.mit.edu/give/to?fundId=3894990) # Why support MIT Open Learning? ## ...because together, we *open* learning MIT has opened its doors to millions of learners worldwide through Open Learning—sharing the Institute’s knowledge freely and empowering people everywhere. Today, MIT Open Learning is expanding that global reach, scaling impact, advancing innovation, and ensuring equitable access to learning for all. Our goals are: **Reaching one billion learners** To amplify and extend our global reach and engagement through free and open resources—building on the success of MIT OpenCourseWare—new Universal Learning offerings, and the AI-enabled MIT Learn platform. **Advancing AI and climate education** To invest in AI-powered learning personalization, tutors, and tools) and expanding climate and ethics education for a rapidly changing world. **Breaking down barriers to access** To deliver a tiered model of free, high-quality educational content—ensuring the fundamentals of AI, climate, biology, and more are widely accessible to learners everywhere. **Strengthening equity and collaborations** To expand impact through working with community colleges and creating pathways to opportunity for underserved learners. [With you and your support,](https://giving.mit.edu/give/to?fundId=3894990)MIT Open Learning can accelerate innovation, broaden access, and prepare today’s learners to meet tomorrow’s challenges. [Yes, I want to give and support your efforts](https://giving.mit.edu/give/to?fundId=3894990)   We also welcome gifts made through [Donor-Advised Funds](https://giving.mit.edu/donor-advised-funds). Find out more about our activities and efforts by [subscribing to Open Learning’s monthly newsletter](http://eepurl.com/hVEi2v). Read about [Open Learning's work in our annual impact report](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/2024-2025-open-learning-impact-report?hsLang=en).  ## Learn more about how you can support MIT Open Learning's Transformative Initiatives [Help us create innovative digital learning experiences that break down barriers to education.](https://openlearning.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2026-05/one-pager%20MIT%20Open%20Learning_0.pdf) ![ol-1](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/OL/ol-1.png?width=265&height=140&name=ol-1.png) #### Help us create innovative digital learning experiences that break down barriers to education. [Help support the values of openness, access, and lifelong learning with MIT OpenCourseWare.](https://openlearning.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2026-05/ocw%20one-pager%20MIT%20Open%20Learning.pdf) ![ol-ocw](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/OL/ol-ocw.png?width=265&height=140&name=ol-ocw.png) #### Help support the values of openness, access, and lifelong learning with MIT OpenCourseWare. [Help us make lifelong learning more accessible and personalized by leveraging AI technology to provide leaners with a guided experience.](https://openlearning.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2026-05/one-pager%20MIT%20Learn.pdf) ![ol-ai](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/OL/ol-ai.png?width=265&height=140&name=ol-ai.png) #### Help us make lifelong learning more accessible and personalized by leveraging AI technology to provide leaners with a guided experience. [Help us expand access to unique learning experiences that focus on the foundations and applications of AI.](https://openlearning.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2026-05/universal%20ai%20one-pager%20MIT%20Open%20Learning.pdf) ![ol-ai2](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/OL/ol-ai2.png?width=265&height=140&name=ol-ai2.png) #### Help us expand access to unique learning experiences that focus on the foundations and applications of AI. ## Our learners and supporters say... > I cannot overstate the impact that MIT Open Learning has had on my education. I have been a student of MOOCs for several years now, and the courses offered by MIT Open Learning have been some of the most impactful and useful that I have taken. I have been able to take courses on a wide variety of topics, and the quality of the content and the instructors has been consistently excellent. I have also been able to use the courses I have taken to further my career, as many of the topics covered are directly relevant to the work I do. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to take advantage of MIT Open Learning, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a high-quality, affordable education. Hikmat College/University Student, Nepal > As a Brazilian student I am not exaggerating when I say MIT OCW has changed my life significantly for the better. Being a part of an extremely limited High School system (the Brazilian one), I would never have had the opportunity to take Calculus during High school, let alone Solid State Chemistry. These courses have greatly expanded my interests and opportunities and I'm forever grateful for that. Maria Eduarda Student, Brazil > I found an introductory Differential Equations course offered by MIT through edx and was simply captivated by the level of knowledge, explanation by the lecturer (Prof Mattuck). He tended to "explain" rather than "lecture". I knew MIT was a highly regarded uni and there was an exam at the end, so I was initially intimidated by the course, even though I had some background knowledge from my engineering degree. But the more I progressed, the more feedback I got from the website (both from the solutions and the staff themselves) and the more confidence I developed. David Independent / Lifelong learner, Australia ## Frequently asked questions about giving Why does MIT Open Learning need my donation? Creating, distributing, and sharing educational materials and courses from MIT requires financial support. Philanthropic support of MIT Open Learning advances MIT’s forward-thinking work in the emerging intersections of digital learning, educational technology, and learning science, harnessing their collective power to make knowledge and learning opportunities available to educators and learners around the world.  You and your gifts also help make the greatest impact in building new networks of learner communities, advancing technologies that deliver adaptive, personalized learning at all levels of education, and supporting the sustainable future of these very networks and tools.  You and your contribution *open* learning. How is MITx, MIT OpenCourseWare, and MIT Open Learning Library connected to MIT Open Learning? MIT Open Learning is the umbrella organization that houses and administratively supports MITx, MIT OpenCourseWare, and the MIT Open Learning Library among other educational innovations, research, and practice. Is my donation tax deductible? Yes! MIT is a 501(c)(3) institution, and your gift is fully tax-deductible within the limitations of U.S. federal income tax laws. Our tax identification number is 04-2103594. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes after making your gift. How do I donate? There are several ways to make your gift to MIT Open Learning. a.) The quickest and easiest way is to donate through our[secure online web form](https://giving.mit.edu/give/to?fundId=3894990&utm_source=impact-site&utm_medium=why-support&utm_id=give).  b.) To mail your gift, please make your check payable to "MIT Open Learning" and mail it to\*: Massachusetts Institute of Technology P.O. Box 412926 Boston, MA 02241-2926 c.) You can also make your gift via[donor-advised funds](https://giving.mit.edu/donor-advised-funds),[wire transfer](https://giving.mit.edu/wire-transfers), or[planned giving](https://giving.mit.edu/planned-giving). Please indicate that you would like to support MIT Open Learning (fund number: 3894990). For questions, or to learn about other ways to give, please email mit-openlearning-giving@mit.edu. How do recurring donations work? You can choose to renew your gift automatically on a monthly or annual basis by setting up a  recurring gift through [our secure web form](https://giving.mit.edu/give/to?fundId=3894990&utm_source=impact-site&utm_medium=why-support&utm_id=give) Recurring gifts can be set up for any amount and help us plan for the future by letting us know we can count on your support. Can my employer match my gift? Yes, you can double your impact when your employer matches your gift to MIT Open Learning. To find out whether your company has a matching gift policy, please visit the [MIT matching gifts page](https://giving.mit.edu/matching-gifts). Then [make your donation to MIT Open Learning](https://giving.mit.edu/give/to?fundId=3894990&utm_source=impact-site&utm_medium=why-support&utm_id=give). What about MIT’s endowment? The endowment is intended to support current and future generations of MIT scholars with the resources needed to advance knowledge, research, and innovation. As such, endowment funds are typically restricted and used for Institute activities, including education, research, campus renewal, faculty work, and student financial aid. An unrestricted donation from learners and supporters directly to MIT Open Learning offers us the flexibility to use the funds where we need it most. How else can I support MIT Open Learning? Spreading the word about MIT Open Learning to your network and community is another critical way you can help support MIT Open Learning. You can also tell us how you’ve learned with MIT Open Learning by [sharing your story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpdguBl8IFvQeaYvzb2N79MwINPXRrgI_yYsGgDtDsJqEQPA/viewform?usp=sf_link) and by connecting with us on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-open-learning), [X](https://x.com/mitopenlearning), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mitopenlearning/),  [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/mitopenlearning), and [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@mitopenlearning). Hearing from you helps us better understand the impact MIT Open Learning has for our learners, and how we might better serve your needs. We also welcome you to [sign up for our newsletter](http://eepurl.com/hVEi2v) to keep up-to-date with our news and courses or [follow our blog for stories of impact](https://medium.com/open-learning). [^Back to top](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/why-support-mit-openlearning#top) MIT Open Learning Stories ## Understanding Open Learning's Impact ![june](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/june.png?width=400&height=300&name=june.png) Photo of June Odongo, founder and CEO of Senga Technologies ## Entrepreneur creates career pathways with MIT OpenCourseWare June Odongo uses free, online MIT courses to train high-quality candidates, making them job-ready. READ ABOUT HOW THIS ENTREPRENEUR IS HELPING THE COMMUNITY Sara Feijo | MIT Open Learning  When June Odongo interviewed early-career electrical engineer Cynthia Wacheke for a software engineering position at her company, Wacheke lacked knowledge of computer science theory but showed potential in complex problem-solving. Determined to give Wacheke a shot, Odongo turned to [MIT OpenCourseWare](https://ocw.mit.edu/) to create a six-month “bridging course” modeled after the classes she once took as a computer science student. Part of MIT Open Learning, OpenCourseWare offers free, online, open educational resources from more than 2,500 courses that span the MIT undergraduate and graduate curriculum. “Wacheke had the potential and interest to do the work that needed to be done, so the way to solve this was for me to literally create a path for her to get that work done,” says Odongo, founder and CEO of Senga Technologies. Developers, Odongo says, are not easy to find. The OpenCourseWare educational resources provided a way to close that gap. “We put Wacheke through the course last year, and she is so impressive,” Odongo says. “Right now, she is doing our first machine learning models. It’s insane how good of a team member she is. She has done so much in such a short time.” **Making high-quality candidates job-ready** Wacheke, who holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nairobi, started her professional career as a hardware engineer. She discovered a passion for software while working on a dashboard design project, and decided to pivot from hardware to software engineering. That’s when she discovered [Senga Technologies](https://senga.co/), a logistics software and services company in Kenya catering to businesses that ship in Africa. Odongo founded Senga with the goal of simplifying and easing the supply chain and logistics experience, from the movement of goods to software tools. Senga’s ultimate goal, Odongo says, is to have most of their services driven by software. That means employees — and candidates — need to be able to think through complex problems using computer science theory. “A lot of people are focused on programming, but we care less about programming and more about problem-solving,” says Odongo, who received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and an MBA from Harvard Business School. “We actually apply the things people learn in computer science programs.” Wacheke started the bridging course in June 2022 and was given six months to complete the curriculum on the MIT OpenCourseWare website. She took nine courses, including: [Introduction to Algorithms](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-006-introduction-to-algorithms-spring-2020/); [Mathematics for Computer Science](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-042j-mathematics-for-computer-science-fall-2010/); [Design and Analysis of Algorithms](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-046j-design-and-analysis-of-algorithms-spring-2015/); [Elements of Software Construction](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-005-elements-of-software-construction-fall-2008/); [Automata, Computability, and Complexity](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-045j-automata-computability-and-complexity-spring-2011/); [Database Systems](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-830-database-systems-fall-2010/); [Principles of Autonomy and Decision Making](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/16-410-principles-of-autonomy-and-decision-making-fall-2010/); [Introduction to Machine Learning](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-036-introduction-to-machine-learning-fall-2020/); and [Networks](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/14-15j-networks-spring-2018/). “The bridging course helped me learn how to think through things,” Wacheke says. “It’s one thing to know how to do something, but it’s another to design that thing from scratch and implement it.” During the bridging course, Wacheke was paired with a software engineer at Senga, who mentored her and answered questions along the way. She learned Ruby on Rails, a server-side web application framework under the MIT License. Wacheke also completed other projects to complement the theory she was learning. She created a new website that included an integration to channel external requests to Slack, a cross-platform team communication tool used by the company’s employees. ![Cynthia-Wacheke-Senga-MIT\_1](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Cynthia-Wacheke-Senga-MIT_1.png?width=900&height=600&name=Cynthia-Wacheke-Senga-MIT_1.png) Cynthia Wacheke gives a presentation to members of the software team at Senga. Wacheke, who is the first person to complete the "bridging course" program, is now a software developer at Senga.  **Continuous learning for team members** The bridging course concluded with a presentation to Senga employees, during which Wacheke explained how the company could use graph theory for decision-making. “If you want to get from point A to B, there are algorithms you can use to find the shortest path,” Wacheke says. “Since we’re a logistics company, I thought we could use this when we’re deciding which routes our trucks take.” The presentation, which is the final requirement for the bridging course, is also a professional development opportunity for Senga employees. “This process is helpful for our team members, particularly those who have been out of school for a while,” Odongo says. “The candidates present what they’ve learned in relation to Senga. It’s a way of doing continuous learning for the existing team members.” After successfully completing the bridging course in November 2022, Wacheke transitioned to a full-time software engineer role. She is currently developing a “machine” that can interpret and categorize hundreds of documents, including delivery notes, cash flows, and receipts. “The goal is to enable our customers to simply feed those documents into our machine, and then we can more accurately read and convert them to digital formats to drive automation,” Odongo says. “The machine will also enable someone to ask a document a question, such as ‘What did I deliver to retailer X on date Y?’ or ‘What is the total price of the goods delivered?’” The bridging course, which was initially custom-designed for Wacheke, is now a permanent program at Senga. A second team member completed the course in October 2023 and has joined the software team full time. “Developers are not easy to find, and you also want high-quality developers,” Odongo says. “At least when we do this, we know that the person has gone through what we need.” [^Back to top](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/why-support-mit-openlearning#top) ![Photo of Dustin Liang](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/dustin.png?width=400&height=300&name=dustin.png) Photo courtesy of Dustin Liang ## Teen uses calculus learned through MITx to better understand his cancer treatment High schooler Dustin Liang estimated his blood cell counts by applying knowledge from an MITx course and talking to doctors. FIND OUT HOW DUSTIN CALCULATED HIS BLOOD CELL COUNTS Sara Feijo | MIT Open Learning When Dustin Liang was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June, the cancer consumed his life. But despite a monthlong hospital stay, aggressive chemotherapy treatments, and ongoing headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, and nausea, the 17-year-old high school senior enrolled in MITx’s class 18.01.1x (Calculus 1A: Differentiation). [MITx](https://openlearning.mit.edu/courses-programs/mitx-courses?f%5B0%5D=course_availability%3A62), part of MIT Open Learning, offers hundreds of high-quality massive open online courses adapted from the MIT classroom for learners worldwide. The Calculus 1A: Differentiation course was designed and created by the Department of Mathematics and offered through the MITx program. Liang took the free course this summer in between treatment sessions and medical tests so that he could meet the four-year math requirement to graduate from a Massachusetts high school — an arrangement he made with his school. In class, Liang learned how to differentiate functions and how to make linear and quadratic approximations. He then applied this knowledge to estimate his blood cell counts. “I was in a hospital bed when I saw the doctor draw a graph of my neutrophils on a whiteboard, and I thought you could apply a quadratic approximation to it to estimate my blood cell counts at a certain time in the future,” Liang recalls. “I talked to the doctors about it, and they said it was a good idea but that they currently didn’t have the technology to do that.” When doctors conduct blood tests on a patient, they look at multiple cell counts. Three of those are especially important for cancer patients: hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells responsible for the delivery of oxygen to tissues; platelets, tiny blood cells that help the body form clots to stop bleeding; and neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infections. “Heavy chemo kills all of the cells, regardless of whether they’re good or bad,” says Thomas Liang MS ’97, who is Dustin Liang’s father. “We asked the doctor a few times about the nadir \[the lowest value of the neutrophil count after drug administration\], but the doctors couldn't predict when Dustin would get to it. The anxiety was pretty high.” While Liang was in the intensive care unit, his doctors ordered blood tests hourly to get a clearer picture of his blood cell counts. Being able to predict blood cell counts allows doctors to more accurately manage the next treatment procedure, and it allows patients and their caregivers to be more cautious and prepare for the next treatment. **Predicting neutrophil counts with math** After being hospitalized for weeks, Liang couldn’t wait to go home. He had his eyes locked on his absolute neutrophil count, which needed to reach 1,000 per microliter of blood in order for Liang to get discharged. In Calculus 1A, Liang was learning how to predict the near future value of a function using linear or quadratic approximation methods. After seeing a doctor’s chart of his neutrophils, Liang hypothesized that he could use quadratic approximation to predict his neutrophil count. “Given a series of points of the blood cell counts, a function can be modeled,” Liang explains. “So, predicting a future point not far away is mathematically feasible.” Determined to test his idea, Liang called his mentor, Jiawen Sun, who works in a London security exchange firm as a trading analyst simulating and modeling stock market behavior. Sun helped Liang create a graph to estimate Liang’s neutrophil count at a certain time. When Liang compared the graph to his blood test results, he found that the math worked. “I was able to predict the blood cell counts. It was a little off, but close enough,” Liang says. “There are some challenges in simulating the function of blood cells. However, the human blood cell counts turned out to be converging easier than the stock market to simulate.” Now, Liang is working on a more accurate model for the neutrophil count based on input he received from doctors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He hopes to use data from other cancer patients to test his model; however, much more work will be needed to determine if this kind of model can be used on other patients. “If this works, it will alleviate some of the anxiety of cancer patients, and make their lives a little bit easier,” Liang says. “For doctors, they will be able to come up with more accurate procedures for treating cancer.” **Searching for better treatment options** Liang completed Calculus 1A: Differentiation in September, receiving a grade of 100 percent on his final exam. “My other chemo had started, and I was feeling pretty bad when my dad told me the grade,” he recalls. “I’m proud I managed to accomplish something while I was undergoing chemo.” Liang, who continues to undergo chemotherapy treatment, enrolled in class 18.01.2x (Calculus 1B: Integration) through MITx this fall semester. He is also taking an English class at his high school. After graduating from high school next year, Liang wants to study pre-med and become a cancer researcher. “I was always pretty interested in the science field. Then I got cancer, and I got even more interested in it,” he says. “I want to research it, find ways to help people get rid of their cancer, and better patients’ treatment.” For Thomas Liang, his son’s survival is the first priority. “I want him to be a successful survivor,” he says. “Dustin is a brilliant kid and a chess prodigy. He thinks fast. He’s very sensitive. He doesn’t talk a lot, but is very popular among his friends. He's a kindhearted kid. I am proud of his aspirations to be a doctor.” [^Back to top](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/why-support-mit-openlearning#top) ![Photo by Lillian Eden/Department of Biology ](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Wiltrout%20Final-1.jpg?width=400&height=267&name=Wiltrout%20Final-1.jpg) Photo by Lillian Eden, MIT Department of Biology ## Improving biology education here, there, and everywhere At the cutting edge of pedagogy, Dr. Mary Ellen Wiltrout has shaped blended and online learning at MIT and beyond. LEARN ABOUT DR. MARY ELLEN WILTROUT'S WORK Samantha Edelen | MIT Department of Biology   When she was a child, Mary Ellen Wiltrout PhD ’09 didn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a K-12 teacher. Growing up in southwestern Pennsylvania, Wiltrout was studious with an early interest in science — and ended up pursuing biology as a career.  But following her doctorate at MIT, she pivoted toward education after all. Now, as the director of blended and online initiatives and a lecturer with the Department of Biology, she’s shaping biology pedagogy at MIT and beyond. **Establishing MOOCs at MIT** To this day, E.C. Whitehead Professor of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator emeritus [Tania Baker](https://biology.mit.edu/profile/tania-a-baker/) considers creating a permanent role for Wiltrout one of the most consequential decisions she made as department head. Since launching the very first MITxBio massive online open course [7.00x](https://www.edx.org/learn/biology/massachusetts-institute-of-technology-introduction-to-biology-the-secret-of-life) (Introduction to Biology – the Secret of Life) with professor of biology [Eric Lander](https://biology.mit.edu/profile/eric-s-lander/) in 2013, Wiltrout’s team has worked with [MIT Open Learning](https://openlearning.mit.edu/) and biology faculty to build an [award-winning repertoire](https://web.mit.edu/mitxbio/courses.html) of MITxBio courses. MITxBio courses are currently hosted on the learning platform [edX](https://www.edx.org/), established by MIT and Harvard University in 2012, which today connects 86 million people worldwide to online learning opportunities. Within MITxBio, Wiltrout leads a team of instructional staff and students to develop online learning experiences for MIT students and the public while researching effective methods for learner engagement and course design. “Mary Ellen’s approach has an element of experimentation that embodies a very MIT ethos: applying rigorous science to creatively address challenges with far-reaching impact,” says Darcy Gordon, instructor of blended and online initiatives. **Mentee to motivator** Wiltrout was inspired to pursue both teaching and research by the late geneticist [Elizabeth “Beth” Jones](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2644932/) at Carnegie Mellon University, where Wiltrout earned a degree in biological sciences and served as a teaching assistant in lab courses. “I thought it was a lot of fun to work with students, especially at the higher level of education, and especially with a focus on biology,” Wiltrout recalls, noting she developed her love of teaching in those early experiences. Though her research advisor at the time discouraged her from teaching, Jones assured Wiltrout that it was possible to pursue both. Jones, who received her postdoctoral training with late Professor Emeritus [Boris Magasanik](https://news.mit.edu/2013/biologist-boris-magasanik-dies-at-94-0103) at MIT, encouraged Wiltrout to apply to the Institute and join American Cancer Society and HHMI Professor [Graham Walker’s](https://biology.mit.edu/profile/graham-c-walker/) lab. In 2009, Wiltrout earned a PhD in biology for thesis work in the Walker lab, where she continued to learn from enthusiastic mentors. “When I joined Graham’s lab, everyone was eager to teach and support a new student,” she reflects. After watching Walker aid a struggling student, Wiltrout was further affirmed in her choice. “I knew I could go to Graham if I ever needed to.” After graduation, Wiltrout taught molecular biology at Harvard for a few years until Baker facilitated her move back to MIT. Now, she’s a resource for faculty, postdocs, and students. “She is an incredibly rich source of knowledge for everything from how to implement the increasingly complex tools for running a class to the best practices for ensuring a rigorous and inclusive curriculum,” says [Iain Cheeseman](https://biology.mit.edu/profile/iain-m-cheeseman/), the Herman and Margaret Sokol Professor of Biology and associate head of the biology department. [Stephen Bell,](https://biology.mit.edu/profile/stephen-bell/) the Uncas and Helen Whitaker Professor of Biology and instructor of the Molecular Biology series of MITxBio courses, notes Wiltrout is known for staying on the “cutting edge of pedagogy.” “She has a comprehensive knowledge of new online educational tools and is always ready to help any professor to implement them in any way they wish,” he says. Gordon finds Wiltrout’s experiences as a biologist and learning engineer instrumental to her own professional development and a model for their colleagues in science education. “Mary Ellen has been an incredibly supportive supervisor. She facilitates a team environment that centers on frequent feedback and iteration,” says Tyler Smith, instructor for pedagogy training and biology. **Prepared for the pandemic, and beyond** Wiltrout believes blended learning, combining in-person and online components, is the best path forward for education at MIT. Building personal relationships in the classroom is critical, but online material and supplemental instruction are also key to providing immediate feedback, formative assessments, and other evidence-based learning practices. “A lot of people have realized that they can’t ignore online learning anymore,” Wiltrout noted during an interview on[The Champions Coffee Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Uic85XjOXa6LIvbaSKQxq?go=1&sp_cid=e9a750999731feb65e7134f4d868d75d&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1&dlsi=03e353da472e4cc8) in 2023. That couldn’t have been truer than in 2020, when academic institutions were forced to suddenly shift to virtual learning. “When Covid hit, we already had all the infrastructure in place,” Baker says. “Mary Ellen helped not just our department, but also contributed to MIT education’s survival through the pandemic.” For Wiltrout’s efforts, she [received a COVID-19 Hero Award](https://science.mit.edu/sciences-covid-19-heroes/), a recognition from the School of Science for staff members who went above and beyond during that extraordinarily difficult time. “Mary Ellen thinks deeply about how to create the best learning opportunities possible,” says Cheeseman, one of almost a dozen faculty members who nominated her for the award. Recently, Wiltrout expanded beyond higher education and into high schools,[taking on several interns](https://news.mit.edu/2023/high-school-students-gain-skills-working-digital-learning-materials-1130) in collaboration with[Empowr](https://www.empowrco.org/), a nonprofit organization that teaches software development skills to Black students to create a school-to-career pipeline. Wiltrout is proud to report that one of these interns is now a student at MIT in the class of 2028. Looking forward, Wiltrout aims to stay ahead of the curve with the latest educational technology and is excited to see how modern tools can be incorporated into education. “Everyone is pretty certain that generative AI is going to change education,” she says. “We need to be experimenting with how to take advantage of technology to improve learning.” Ultimately, she is grateful to continue developing her career at MIT biology. “It’s exciting to come back to the department after being a student and to work with people as colleagues to produce something that has an impact on what they’re teaching current MIT students and sharing with the world for further reach,” she says. As for Wiltrout’s own daughter, she’s declared she would like to follow in her mother’s footsteps — a fitting symbol of Wiltrout’s impact on the future of education.   [^Back to top](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/why-support-mit-openlearning#top) Come join us and help us grow and get great together. [Get in Touch](https://www.hubspot.com/) ## Connect with the Resource Development Team ![Peter](https://impact-openlearning.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Peter.png?width=120&height=120&name=Peter.png) Peter B. 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