MIT Resource Development

Rob Scott, Development Services

Rob Scott is the head of the Office of Development Services, which gathers and analyzes knowledge about individual prospects and donors, and provides tools to development staff for sharing and using that knowledge to build the relationships that lead to major philanthropic support for the Institute. He started at the Institute in 2002.

Name two things you like about MIT.

I like the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that pervades the place — if you have an idea you are encouraged to run with it.

Do you have a favorite MIT hack? If so, which one?

My favorite hacks are hacks on the Great Dome — from R2D2 to the Wright Flyer.

What’s the most surprising or remarkable thing you’ve encountered while working at MIT?

One of the most surprising events was the day liquid nitrogen came billowing under my door (I didn’t know WHAT it was at the time) while a group of Experimental Study Group students made “instant ice cream” in building 24. A remarkable thing was learning about all the biology work being done here. Another facet of MIT that shocked me is all the tremendous outdoor public art that’s sited on campus: Calder, di Suvero, Moore, and Lipchitz, to name a few.

What’s your favorite spot on campus?

I have many favorite spots: the “penthouse” of Building 24, the stairwells of Building 36 during thunderstorms, the tunnels, the little pocket garden — it’s called the Julie Fassett Garden — between Kresge and the tennis courts, the Hart Nautical Gallery in Building 5. And, of course, W98!

Which MIT research area most resonates with you, and why?

There are so many interesting ones, but I would have to say that I have followed the recent advances around energy and the environment most closely.

Name a favorite activity in your life outside MIT.

Birding. During migration in the spring and fall, you can sometimes see me with binoculars on Killian Court.