Program Director Akintunde Ibitayo (Tayo) Akinwande is a Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. Professor Akinwande received a B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Ife, Nigeria, and an MS and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Professor Akinwande joined MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) in January 1995. His research focuses on micro-fabrication and electronic devices with particular emphasis on smart sensors and actuators, intelligent displays, large area electronics (macro-electronics), field emission & field ionization devices, mass spectrometry and electric propulsion. He has received the 1996 National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Award. He has served a number of technical program committees; holds numerous patents in MEMS, Electronics on Flexible Substrates, and Display technologies; and has authored more than 100 journal publications. He was a visiting professor at the Cambridge University Engineering Department and an Overseas Fellow of Churchill College in 2002-2003. He is a current member of the IEEE Nanotechnology Council.
Julia Reynolds is the MIT Africa Program Manager for MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) which manages ETT. Julia recently returned to the US from a four year position in Rwanda as Country Manager and Field Learning & Development Coordinator for One Laptop per Child (OLPC). She worked along side the Ministry of Education in numerous African countries as well as South America and the US, to improve the educational conditions of teachers, children, schools, and communities through the use of the XO laptop. During this time, she became passionate about empowering communities to use innovative approaches and technologies to address their local needs. Prior to her work at OLPC, Julia founded Girls Preparing to Succeed (GPS) a state-renowned organization to empower young women through her alma-mater Simmons College.