He really set it up in a very clever way. People who teach get supplemental income, as do the Institute and the departments. About 1,500 people attend the 50 to 60 course offerings each summer. His course and that of Institute Professor Daniel Wang of biology are among the longest-running of the program. Then they head off to Rm 1-290 or another lecture hall, where they'll spend from two days to two weeks surrounded by their peers from around the world in an intensive professional course.
Topics range from applied biology to leadership to engineering systems.
The mid-career professionals who attend come from all 50 US states and many foreign countries. Most have graduate degrees along with their industry experience, according to Professor McGarry, who first taught his course on composite materials in 1962. Teachers of the summer courses make a lot of contacts for consulting, research and other activities within industry and government. At MIT, the faculty member doesn't have to look for things to do. Early on, it was kind of expected that you set up a summer course.