Rafael Reif on Leading —and Leaving— MIT

Latino USA

My Cultura, Futuro and iHeartPodcasts

Society & Culture

4.9 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2022

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Rafael Reif steps down as president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the end of December 2022, there will no longer be a Latino president at the helm of a top university in the United States. But for Reif, his tenure and the journey that brought him to it, is one that is defined by more than just his identity.

In this conversation with Maria Hinojosa, Reif reflects on the legacy he wants to leave as MIT president. He talks about how his upbringing in Venezuela shaped his outlook on education, and shares his message for Latino and Latina students pursuing higher education.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Maria Inojosa, and I am Penileira Mides.
0:03.0	And on this new series, we're going to get to know the most powerful Mexican government
0:08.6	official ever to face trial in the US for his alleged ties to the infamous drug lord, El
0:15.4	Chappo.
0:16.4	But this is not your regular narco story.
0:19.3	It's like true crime, myths, telenovela.
0:22.6	This is our new series, USA versus García Luna.
0:27.1	Find it whatever you get your podcasts and at futuroinvestigates.org.
0:40.0	I never thought of staying and never thought that this was what I wanted.
0:44.6	But MIT is really, honestly, a very special place.
0:48.0	And I've been here for 40 years for that reason.
0:54.6	And for the media and PRX, it's Latino USA.
0:57.7	I'm Maria Inojosa.
0:58.9	Today, a conversation with Venezuela and born Rafael Reif, whose tenure as president of
1:04.6	the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is coming to a close.
1:16.7	For over 10 years, Rafael Reif has been the only Latino president of a top US university.
1:24.2	In fact, the school he leads, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, widely known, simply
1:29.8	as MIT, is ranked number two, only behind Princeton.
1:35.8	Reif's journey to MIT's helm is a long and unexpected one.
1:41.0	His Jewish parents born in Eastern Europe fled the continent during Hitler's rise and
1:47.2	increasing anti-Semitism in the late 1930s.
1:50.8	They escaped to South America.
	...

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