Joseph Mitti Dhosi, S.M. ’59, joined the DMSE community more than half a century ago; while still employed at the Watertown Arsenal, he enrolled in MIT as a graduate student as one of Prof. Nick Grant’s advisees. After completing his thesis on “The Elevated Temperature Characteristics of Three Age Hardened and Internally Oxidized Titanium-Copper-Cerium Alloys,” he worked in the Boston area and continued his education at the Sloan School. In 1976, he returned to MIT as Administrative Officer for DMSE, under Prof. Walter Owen, then Department Head. At that time, Joe and the DMSE Headquarters staff had responsibility for all departmental personnel and financial matters, grants administration, and space concerns.
In 1996, Joe “retired,” and began a new schedule where he worked half-time as the Course III Internship Coordinator, a task he had first undertaken when the Internship program was established in the mid-1970s. More than 700 Course III undergraduates have benefitted from Joe’s wide network of MIT alumni/ae and from his dedication to finding not only a position for every student but the right position for every student. He continued this work until 2010. In 1995, he received MIT’s James N. Murphy Award, which is presented to an employee whose spirited contributions to the Institute family have won a place in the hearts of students. This award recognized Joe’s role in creating and maintaining the internship program. Starting with the class of 2011, the department will present the Joseph M. Dhosi Outstanding Internship Award to recognize outstanding student work in that program.