Four MIT faculty members have been named to Forbes’ 2026 “50 Over 50: Innovation” list, which recognizes influential women who are shaping their fields and communities through leadership, innovation, and impact. As highlighted by MIT News, this year’s honorees include Prof. Paula Hammond, dean of the MIT School of Engineering; Prof. Dina Katabi, professor of electrical engineering and computer science; Prof. Nergis Mavalvala, dean of the MIT School of Science; and Aude Oliva, director of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab.
Paula Hammond
62 | Dean, MIT School of Engineering
Paula T. Hammond has designed polymers and nanoparticles to deliver cancer therapies more precisely, concentrating treatment at diseased tissue while limiting damage elsewhere. She’s also applied her work to materials for use in batteries and fuel cells. In January 2026, she became the first woman to lead MIT’s School of Engineering, after previously serving as the first woman to lead its School of Chemical Engineering. Hammond was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2024, and is among a small group of scientists elected to all three U.S. National Academies—Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
Dina Katabi
54 | Co-founder & President, Emerald Innovations
Syria-born Dina Katabi is a professor at MIT and the director of the university’s Center for Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing, where she runs a lab focused on analyzing signals. Earlier in her career, that meant improving signal processing to make Wi-Fi and cell service more efficient; today, that means building a machine that uses wireless signals and machine learning to monitor the human body. A MacArthur “Genius grant” winner, Katabi now also serves as co-founder and president of Emerald Innovations, which is commercializing her health-monitoring tech. The fully-bootstrapped startup sells an at-home, wireless system that can track sleep and breathing patterns, heart rate and movement, all without the need for a wearable device.
Nergis Mavalvala
58 | Astrophysicist; Dean of the School of Science, MIT
Nergis Mavalvala is a pioneering astrophysicist who works within the field of quantum measurement science and the detection of gravitational waves. She was a leading member of the team behind the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), which in 2016 detected ripples resulting from colliding black holes. In 2020, Mavalvala was appointed as dean of MIT’s School of Science, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She had previously served as MIT’s head of physics, during which time she cofounded the Physics Values Committee to advise the department on matters of inclusion, collaboration and mentorship
Aude Oliva
58 | MIT Director, MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab; Senior Research Scientist, MIT
Aude Oliva has spent decades studying how people see, remember and interpret the world—and using those insights to build more capable artificial intelligence. This year, she became the inaugural MIT director of the new MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab, overseeing research in AI, algorithms and quantum computing. She also cofounded Perceptual Insights, a startup that helps AI companies and investors evaluate how well AI systems perform in real-world tasks rather than just benchmark tests. With more than 200 scientific publications, Oliva is a leading voice at the intersection of human and machine intelligence.
MIT Alumna Also Recognized
MIT alumna Susie Wee, co-founder and CEO of DevAI, was also recognized on the 2026 list. Wee earned her PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and co-founded DevAI in 2024 to develop AI agents that address challenges in enterprise technology operation.
Read more about the MIT honorees through MIT News and view the full Forbes 50 Over 50: Innovation list.
