By Grace Song

Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics Dava Newman SM ‘89, SM ‘89, PhD ‘92 was named director of the MIT Media Lab Dec. 22. The selection was made by the MIT Media Lab Director Search Committee following the resignation of former director Joi Ito 15 months ago, with the appointment effective July 1, 2021. 

Newman is a faculty member in the MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology. Her research focuses on the intersection of biomedical and aerospace engineering, specifically human performance across the spectrum of gravity. Previously, she served as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Deputy Administrator from 2015 to 2017 and has directed various programs at MIT, including the Technology and Policy Program.