Don and Sherie Morrison

Don Morrison earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from MIT in 1961 and a PhD in operations research from Stanford in 1965. For 25 years, he has been a professor of management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His primary research interests are probability and statistics. Sherie Morrison holds a bachelor’s and a PhD in biology from Stanford. A professor of microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics at UCLA, she developed the antibody technology used to treat arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and some infectious diseases. Don left MIT as the number-two long jumper in its history. “Now, I’m number six but proud of it,” he says.

Don: “I began MIT in the middle of my class academically and by senior year, I had moved into the top 25 percent. I was on the track team, and that really boosted my confidence. Now, we support men’s and women’s track and field and the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation because I consider athletics to be the main pressure release valve at the Institute. MIT wouldn’t be MIT without it, and the students, faculty, and staff wouldn’t be as energized, healthy, or satisfied.”

Sherie: “MIT is creating the next generation of leaders, which the country desperately needs. We wanted students to gain the best possible education. But that education isn’t just book learning. It’s learning how to compete, how to manage time, how to interact with others, and how to be a good teammate.”