DMSE and MRL jointly sponsor a seminar series, dividing the work between Gina Franzetta in MRL, and Rachel Kemper in DMSE. A faculty committee of chair Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli, Rob Macfarlane, and Christine Ortiz (current members as of Sept. 2020) invite speakers from other universities and industry to discuss their research and developments in the field; the committee also acts as primary hosts. Each speaker is assigned a faculty host, generally the person who suggested inviting the speaker. The department pays for travel and associated meal costs (in the past, the department provided an honorarium and a gift). Faculty are invited to meet with the speaker on the day of the seminar. Students may also be invited to meet with the speaker. Luncheon and dinner groups are arranged. The event is advertised through the MIT calendar, announcements to email lists, and posters. Coordinate with other DMSE groups to avoid scheduling other events on that day.
The series is budgeted at $25,000/year, with DMSE contributing $15K, and MRL each contributing $5K.