Learn from MIT’s 2025 MacVicar Fellows
MIT recognizes exemplary educators annually through its MacVicar Faculty Fellows Program.
Three outstanding educators have been named MIT’s 2025 MacVicar Faculty Fellows: Paloma Duong, associate professor in comparative media studies/writing, Frank Schilbach, associate professor of economics, and Justin Steil, associate professor of urban studies and planning. Through MIT Open Learning, you can learn online from Schilbach and Steil for free.
Frank Schilbach: Bringing energy and excitement to the curriculum
Frank Schilbach’s connection and dedication to undergraduates, combined with his efforts in communicating the importance of economics as a field of study, were key components in the revitalization of economics (Course 14). In addition to bolstering enrollment, Schilbach had a hand in curricular improvements. Among them, he created a “next step” for students completing the Principles of Microeconomics class with a revised class Psychology and Economics that goes beyond classic topics in behavioral economics to explore links with poverty, mental health, happiness, and identity.
Learn with Professor Schilbach:
- Psychology and Economics: Explore recent advances in behavioral economics, by reviewing some of the assumptions made in mainstream economic models and discussing how human behavior systematically departs from these assumptions.
- Well-being is the Goal with Prof. Frank Schilbach: Reframe your traditional understanding of economics. In this Chalk Radio Podcast episode, Schilbach discusses how psychologically-informed interventions can boost people’s productivity, earnings, and savings, as well as increase their tendency toward benevolence and cooperation.
Justin Steil: Experiential learning meets public service
Justin Steil uses his background as a lawyer, a sociologist, and an urban planner to combine experiential learning with opportunities for public service. In the class Urban Sociology in Theory and Practice, he connects students with incarcerated individuals to examine inequality at one of the state’s largest prisons, MCI Norfolk. Steil is also a paramedic and has volunteered as an EMT for MIT Emergency Medical Service, where he continues to transform routine activities into teachable moments. Since joining MIT in 2015, Steil has received a Committed to Caring award in 2018; the Harold E. Edgerton Award for exceptional contributions in research, teaching, and service in 2021; and a First Year Advising Award from the Office of the First Year in 2022.
Learn with Professor Steil:
- Introduction to Housing, Community, and Economic Development: Get an introduction to social and economic inequality in America; equitable development; social capital and community building; and the history, development, and current prospects of housing and economic development.
- Environmental Justice, Science and Technology: Explore the environmental justice movement, its history, and how science and technology can be used to tackle environmental challenges and injustice.
- Environmental Justice Law and Policy: Dive into the basic principles of environmental justice and frameworks for analyzing and addressing inequalities in the distribution of environmental benefits and burdens.
- Urban Sociology in Theory and Practice: Examine the key theoretical paradigms of sociology, assess how and why those paradigms have changed over time, and dive into the implications of these shifts for urban research and planning practice.
About the MacVicar Fellows Program
For more than 30 years, the MacVicar Faculty Fellows Program has recognized exemplary and sustained contributions to undergraduate education at MIT. The program is named in honor of Margaret MacVicar, MIT’s first dean for undergraduate education and founder of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. Fellows are chosen through a highly competitive, annual nomination process. The MIT Registrar’s Office coordinates and administers the award on behalf of the Office of the Vice Chancellor; nominations are reviewed by an advisory committee, and final selections are made by the provost. Get to know the 2025 fellows.
This article was adapted from MIT News. Read the original story.
The courses and resources listed in this article are available through MIT OpenCourseWare and MITx, both part of MIT Open Learning. OpenCourseWare offers free, online, open educational resources from more than 2,500 courses that span the MIT undergraduate and graduate curriculum. MITx offers high-quality massive open online courses adapted from the MIT classroom for learners worldwide.
