MIT Ring Brochure 2021

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

MIT GRADRAT

THE OFFICIAL MIT GRADUATE RING

THE HISTORY

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Class Ring tradition was born in the spring of 1929 when C. Brigham Allen, the president of the Class of 1929, formed a committee to design a band to be used as the first Standard Technology ring. The committee agreed upon a three-part construction, with a primary image on the bezel of the ring and two other images on the two shanks. Following this, the Class of 1930 was the first to proudly wear what is now known as the “Brass Rat” (first design shown below) and what has since become both an Institute tradition and a recognizable symbol of MIT worldwide.

As the graduate population at MIT grew and became the majority among both current students and alumni, the Brass Rat tradition was adopted by the graduate student community. Receiving its own unique identity, the “GradRat” was born and quickly grew to be the largest graduate ring program in the country. Always staying true to its traditional iconic three-part construction, the GradRat bezel and shanks have been redesigned every five years since 2003 (most recently in 2018) to reflect the unique graduate student culture at MIT. The GradRat is now one the most recognized graduate rings in the world. Now is your chance to take part in the long and unbroken tradition that commemorates our outstanding graduate experience at MIT.

THE BEAVER The beaver, MIT’s mascot and nature’s skilled engineer, is shown here proudly wearing the GradRat ring on its left ring finger. MIT’s global significance is marked by a star on a globe held in the beaver’s right hand. On the left hand, the beaver proudly holds its degree, with the lower fold spelling out the letter “G,” which represents the MIT registrar’s course designation for graduate students on WebSIS. The “G” also symbolizes that this ring is unique to graduate students. The beaver’s tail depicts the numbers 1 through 5 in binary, representing the five schools at MIT. The fur on the beaver’s back spells out “One MIT,” highlighting the inclusive nature of the culture at MIT: no matter what department, nationality, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation we represent, we are all united, as proud MIT students.

CAMBRIDGE SKYLINE MIT’s iconic dome bears “XCI,” the Roman number for 91: the number of Nobel laureates that have been affiliated with MIT to date. The two plus signs next to XCI indicate that this number will continue to grow in the future. Two runners and a bicyclist along the Charles River Bike Path portray the respite graduate students often find after a long day of research and classes.

Next to the dome, the tent reminds us of MIT’s highly popular outdoor festivals and dance parties which have become an annual tradition, bringing together all members of the MIT community in celebration. Alongside the river, we show selected MIT buildings that play a central role in many graduate students’ lives during their time at MIT. Shown is the highly recognizable Ray and Maria Stata Center, and the famous Walker Memorial building, whose west-facing wall bears a graph depicting the ups and downs of a typical graduate student’s time at MIT, ending on a high note at graduation. This graph also symbolizes qualifying exams, teaching endeavors and thesis defenses, all of which are integral components of many graduate students’ tenures at MIT. The windows of the Green Building spell out “t=0,”which is shorthand for “the time is now.” It refers to a longstanding culture of graduate students starting entrepreneurial ventures while at MIT. The upside-down thermometer affixed to the Green Building serves as a reminder of rising global temperatures resulting from anthropogenic climate change. Two marks are clearly visible on the thermometer, reminding us of the climate agreement set in Paris to limit the increase in global average temperatures to well below 2°C. It also signifies MIT’s commitment to addressing climate change.

BEZEL

BEZEL

THE CHARLES RIVER A sailboat is shown in the center of the Charles River, demonstrating an activity that graduate students fondly undertake during their tenure at MIT. The boat’s sail, shown as a DNA strand, symbolizes MIT’s advances in biotechnology and gene editing. This sail is being precisely cut by a scalpel (shown as the boat) and a pair of scissors (shown as the mast). Washing up against the boat are gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger, a groundbreaking Nobel-prize winning observation by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations in 2015, with a significant contribution from MIT researchers. Three beavers in the river point to the main beaver on the bridge, demonstrating leadership and teamwork. In the left corner of the river, a caffeine molecule can be outlined in the waves, symbolizing the fuel that many graduate students rely on to spend long nights on their various projects and research.

BOSTON SKYLINE Crossing the recently renovated Longfellow Bridge at the far end of the skyline, we enter Boston, illustrated by the Custom House Clock Tower, the Prudential Tower and the iconic Citgo sign. The hashtag in the center of the Citgo sign represents the active participation of graduate students in a wide variety of topics important to them, by voicing opinions online or by engaging in vibrant discussions with fellow scientists and citizens. The fireworks above the Longfellow bridge commemorate MIT’s centennial of moving from Boston to Cambridge as celebrated in 2016 with a lavish fireworks display. The satellite next to it highlights MIT’s pioneering efforts in outer space research.

THE BRIDGE The beaver stands on the famous Harvard bridge, which connects Cambridge and Boston. The railing of the bridge intertwines biological neural networks and artificial neural networks. It symbolizes MIT’s advances in artificial intelligence research as it continues to positively impact many traditional disciplines, as well as the inspiration that various fields have provided to artificial intelligence.

THE SEAL SHANK

The seal shank depicts a modern reimagination of the traditional MIT seal, ornately carved beneath a bold “MIT.” The two figures on the seal, a craftswoman at the anvil and a scholar with a book, personify MIT’s motto Mens Et Manus, or “Mind and Hand,” which is engraved on a silky, flowing ribbon at the base of the seal. Combined with the Science and Arts volumes on the pedestal in between the two figures, it reflects the ideals of cooperation between theory and practice that have been significant to MIT’s long term mission for innovation. Encircled by laurels is the year 1861, the year MIT was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

A lamp burns at the top of the volumes symbolizing graduate students’ unwavering commitment to excellence, and the flame burns in a figure of “18” to symbolize the year in which this design was made. Finally, at the bottom of the seal is the coveted degree that every graduate student has worked so hard to attain.

THE DEGREE SHANK

The degree shank is adorned by the fearless Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, who is also the namesake of MIT’s academic computing environment which many graduate students frequently use.

She symbolizes intelligence and courage, which MIT graduate students embody in their research endeavors and coursework, as well as resilience, demonstrated by graduate students during the many manuscript rejections and revisions that are part of the paper publication process.

With her left hand, Athena boldy thrusts her spear, symbolizng progress and forward thinking. In her right hand she holds her shield which bears the icon unique to the ring owner’s home department or program.

Below her shield is the graduation year each graduate student has looked forward to so anxiously.

THE ENGRAVED MAP

THE MAP The engraved map shows the recognizable shape of the MIT campus and depicts areas of campus important and relevant to graduate students.

The brand new MIT Nano building and the buildings in Tech Square are shown. All graduate residences are included in the west campus, as well as undergraduate residences, where many graduate students provide support to undergraduates as resident tutors.

THE SKYLINES

THE BOSTON SKYLINE The Boston Skyline is depicted here in the daytime: a spectacular view many graduate students are treated to while working in their offices and labs, or while sailing on the Charles. Standing at the left end is the silhouette of the famous Tobin Bridge, the longest bridge in New England. To its right is the iconic Custom House Clock Tower, which is often used as a symbol of Boston. Other recognizable buildings in the Boston skyline include the Berkeley Building, the John Hancock Tower, the Prudential Tower, and 111 Huntington Avenue (also known as the R2-D2 building). The emblematic “Citgo” sign and Fenway Park are shown on the right of the skyline, and remind graduate students of their memorable excursions venturing into Boston to take a well-deserved break from the MIT bubble. Soaring high above the skyline is an airplane, representing the arduous journey across continents and oceans many international students take to come to MIT, and the many travels graduate students undertake to present their research at conferences.

THE CAMBRIDGE SKYLINE The Cambridge Skyline is depicted here in the nighttime, representing the many late nights graduate students spend on campus working, or enjoying a night out in good company. Shown on the very left is the Kresge Auditorium, where we were first welcomed to MIT by our university’s President during orientation week. The iconic Lobby 7 and Lobby 10 domes can be seen along with the Ray and Maria Stata Center, the Green Building, the Media Lab and the Sloan School of Management’s Chang Building featuring the Samberg Conference Center lookout.

RING OPTIONS THE METALS AND FINISHES The GradRat comes in six different metal options: Yellow Gold, White Gold, Rose Gold, Balfour Fusion™, CelestriumTM, and Argentium® Silver.

The GradRat comes in three different finish options: Natural, Antique, and Raw. Yellow Gold

White Gold

Rose Gold

Natural Antique Raw

Natural Antique Raw

Natural Antique Raw

THE BEZEL OPTIONS The GradRat comes in four different sizes: Large, Medium, Small, and Extra Small. The Beaver bezel also has four different encrusting options: Red Stone, CZ Stone, Diamond, or Without Stone. The stone option is only available on the Medium and Large Sizes.

Fusion

TM

Natural Raw

Celestrium

TM

Natural Antique Raw

MEDIUM 15mm x 12mm

TM

Natural Antique Raw

THE SIGNET RING A new offering of the GradRat in the form of a signet ring, a leaner version of our regular three-part ring. The signet ring features the iconic GradRat bezel on the top, and instead of the degree and seal shanks, has a slimmer band bearing “MIT” on one side and the student’s graduation year on the other side. This ring is offered in the small and medium bezel sizes.

Actual Size LARGE 17mm x 13.75mm

Argentium

SMALL 13.5mm x 11mm

EXTRA SMALL 11.5mm x 9mm

PROGRAM SYMBOLS

COURSE 1 Civil & Environmental Engineering

COURSE 2 Mechanical Engineering

COURSE 3 Materials Science & Engineering

COURSE 4 Architecture & Planning

COURSE 5 Chemistry

COURSE 6 Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

COURSE 7 Biology

COURSE 8 Physics

COURSE 9 Brain & Cognitive Sciences

COURSE 10 Chemical Engineering

COURSE 11 Department Urban Studies & Planning

COURSE 12 Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences

COURSE 14 Economics

COURSE 15 Management

COURSE 16 Aeronautics & Astronautics

PROGRAM SYMBOLS

COURSE 17 Political Science

COURSE 18 Mathematics

COURSE 20 Biological Engineering

COURSE 21 Humanities

COURSE 21W Science Writing

COURSE 22 Nuclear Science & Engineering

COURSE 24 Linguistics & Philosophy

ACT Art, Culture, & Technology

CCE Center For Computational Engineering

CDO Computation for Design & Optimization

CMS Comparative Media Studies

CRE Center for Real Estate

CSB Computational & Systems Biology

MIT Dome For use by all departments

EMBA Executive MBA

HASTS History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology & Society

HST Health Sciences & Technology

IDM Integrated Design & Management

PROGRAM SYMBOLS

IDSS Institute for Data, Systems and Society

LGO Leaders for Global Operations

MAS Media Arts & Sciences

MBAn Master of Business Analytics

MICRO Microbiology

MLOG Masters of Engineering in Logistics

MSMS Master of Science in Management Studies

MST Master of Science in Transportation

NE Naval Engineering

OR Operations Research Center

SCM Supply Chain Management

SDM System Design Management

SF Sloan Fellow

TPP Technology & Policy Program

WHOI Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

STS Science, Technology & Society

DEGREES The GradRat is only available to currently enrolled students and alumni.

The only degrees that can appear on the GradRat are those awarded by MIT.

BALFOUR GUARANTEE

Your Balfour college jewelry is born of special artistry, skill and hours of patient effort. This piece of jewelry will be among the most personal and meaningful you will ever own. Therefore, Balfour provides its college jewelry owners with the following Limited Lifetime Warranty.

WARRANTED CRAFTSMANSHIP Your Balfour college jewelry is designed and made to exacting quality standards and is warranted against any imperfection in design or workmanship. Any piece not meeting these standards will be repaired or replaced without charge.

WARRANTED FIT All Balfour college rings are warranted to be properly sized as ordered. Resizing will be performed without charge.

FREE INSPECTION AND CLEANING To keep your jewelry as beautiful as the day you first wear it, Balfour will inspect, clean and polish your jewelry upon request and at no charge.

FREE DATE/DEGREE/COURSE CHANGE If your date, degree or course changes, your ring will be remade one time at no charge.

SERVICE AND SALES Balfour 7211 Circle S Road Austin, TX 78745 P.O. Box 149056 Austin, TX

CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT 1-800-996-8636 http://gradrat.mit.edu

Any piece of jewelry that does not meet the specific warranties stated herein will be repaired or replaced without charge by mailing it with proof of purchase to Balfour College Jewelry, 7211 Circle S Road Austin, TX 78745(P.O. Box 149056, Austin, TX 78714-9056). Any repair or replacement under this warranty is not valid if any work is performed on the jewelry outside the factory. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary from state to state.

C100MITG-1119.3454 ©2019 Balfour. All Rights Reserved.

http://gradrat.mit.edu