SA+P celebrates its 2026 Infinite Mile Awardees

Staff and faculty recognize the significant contributions of Eleni Aktypi, Cassie Lee, and Dan Sweeney.

By Maria Iacobo

When it comes to praise for a colleague, it doesn’t get much better than this: “An extraordinary problem solver, and self-made expert, creating her own solutions, leading the way, not just for her own department, but for Institute-wide systems.”

This succinct assessment of Eleni Aktypi’s many contributions within the Department of Architecture provides reasons why the architectural design group assistant for Architecture + Urbanism — one of the department’s groups — was enthusiastically supported for a 2026 Infinite Mile Award. 

At its annual staff appreciation event in June, the School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) recognized the outstanding contributions of three staff members who were honored with the Infinite Mile Award. The distinction celebrates individuals who have gone above and beyond their roles, as recognized by their peers. This year’s honorees — Eleni Aktypi, Cassie Lee, and Dan Sweeney — were feted with recognition, cash awards, and cheers when their achievements were shared by their colleagues.

Eleni Aktypi
The Architecture + Urbanism Group is the department’s largest and most complex group. For much of this past year, Aktypi has been the sole administrative support, managing faculty needs, coordinating logistics for classes, and running admissions for the Master’s in Architecture program, which receives the highest-volume admissions requests. Several colleagues wrote letters attesting to Aktypi’s ability to manage the newer admissions software system, Slate, and provide additional training for other architecture staff. Another letter praised Aktypi’s patience to “fixing the errors” in the admissions software system which considerably helped the enrollment process. “To say this was a difficult situation would be an understatement,” wrote another reviewer. “Hundreds of applications put at risk by Slate [software] issues – that she painstakingly double-checked on a constant basis to be sure the right people moved forward in the process.”

Aktypi has been with MIT and the department for seven years. She says a highlight of her job is supporting “a vibrant academic community while working alongside talented faculty, staff, and students. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to solve problems, improve processes, and help others succeed. I find it especially rewarding to contribute to an environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and learning.”

Upon receiving the 2026 Infinite Mile Award, Aktypi told the crowd, “This award is something I will always cherish, as it will always reflect the people, relationships, and shared efforts that have made this journey so meaningful.”

Cassie Lee
MIT Media Lab’s Cassandra (Cassie) Lee SM ’24, a technology designer and researcher, was praised for her leadership in reimagining the Media Arts and Sciences Student Survey. Rather than treating the survey as a static tool, Lee “dove headfirst” into the challenge of a redesign “understanding that some meaningful feedback mechanism was essential for improving our community and culture and explored how to improve its design….” Lee’s efforts transformed the survey and made “the analysis of it interpretable and actionable. She facilitated playful, optionally anonymous, and deep conversations between members of the community to elicit rich insight on what was and wasn’t working.” 

Lee was also commended for developing a salon series which included identifying under-used space in the building’s basement and “gave it immense love and creativity to turn it into an exciting theatrical, invigorating environment.” Lee designed games and invitations for the entire Media Lab community to enjoy “to foster connection with each other, play and relax and enjoy quirky, very MIT moments together in new, innovative, experimental ways.”

Dan Sweeney
MIT D-Lab colleagues of Dan Sweeney were united in selecting the research scientist and lecturer for the Infinite Mile Award. With 13 years in his role, Sweeney has managed to bring community into every aspect of his job. “Even when his plate is full of his own work, [Dan will] still take the time to respond to student inquiries or help a colleague in the makerspace,” wrote one nominator. Another nomination letter pointed out that, “when working with MIT students, [Dan] sets an example of how to respectfully learn from other cultures and communities while also sharing knowledge and skills. I have seen him navigate many group settings with humility, openness and a desire to create a truly productive learning environment. He has spent a significant amount of time traveling to remote and uncomfortable locations to bring students new experiences and to bring their energy and expertise to these remote communities.”

Yet another nominator wrote, “Dan’s impact, from what I can tell, stems from his ability to build and maintain deep, authentic relationships. He was pivotal in my transition from being his student and [teaching assistant] to becoming an instructor myself. He taught me that the most important part of our work isn’t the technical part, it’s the relationship building we do with our partners. It’s about taking the time to learn about other cultures and communities by listening, engaging, and sharing ourselves.”

Sweeney joined D-Lab in 2013 on a one-year contract. “Since then it's been a wild ride, making lots of fuel and fires, putting a few fires out, leading students on research trips in some of the harshest environments in the world, and working with some of the poorest but most generous and welcoming communities you can find,” Sweeney told the SA+P community at the ceremony. “Truly infinite possibilities where a researcher and instructor can flourish.”

Congratulations to each of the 2026 Infinite Mile awardees!