The Charles Edward Holt Memorial Lecture was established to present a major scientific lecture directed toward the entire MIT undergraduate community each year.
The late Professor Holt, fondly known by colleagues and students as Ned, received his Ph.D. from MIT in 1962. He was a faculty member in the Department of Biology from 1963 until his untimely death in February 1982. He was an expert in the molecular and genetic organization of development, using the amoebal-plasmodial transformation of slime molds as a model system for the analysis of development.
As a tribute to Ned's leadership, imagination, and dedication to undergraduate education, the Holt Memorial Lecture annually invites a distinguished scientist and teacher to speak before the MIT undergraduate community and the public. The speaker will be "interested both in the biological sciences and undergraduate education".
Dr. Ned Holt in an undated departmental photo