Updates, Previews, and My Successor by The Humanitarian Blog

Sorry for being MIA — these past few weeks have been exceptionally busy.

That being said, I begin with two plugs:

— Check out the second issue of the MIT International Review at http://web.mit.edu/mitir/!
— Forum on American Progress will be releasing a booklet, America in the World: MIT Speaks, that showcases 25 undergraduates’ responses to the following question: “What is the most important challenge facing our world, and what should the United States do to solve it?” Two fellow bloggers, Paul and Karen, are among the authors. Here’s a picture of the cover so that you can get a sneak preview:

Next, a hearty round of congratulations is in order for Zahir Dossa, who I profiled in my first blog. A producer at the History Channel happened to read it, contacted Zahir, and asked him to film a 14-part television series this summer on global warming in Antarctica! He’s currently planning the first few episodes, which, apparently, are so good that the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and several other high-profile channels are bidding over the rights to his series.

Next, keep your eyes peeled for profiles of the one and only Melis; Kendra Johnson, who’s founded a program to help the women of Santa Ana, Ecuador, support their water system through the sale of their jewelry and ceramics; and Nadia Elkordy, whose team won this year’s IDEAS competition for its development of a braille pencil.

Last but not least, I’ll be revealing my successor in an upcoming entry!