Raul Radovitzky and Flavia Cardarelli

Raúl and Flavia have been the Heads of House at McCormick Hall since August of 2015. Raúl’s whole life has been dedicated to the academic world with an equal love for research and teaching. But among all of his academic passions, the interaction with the student community is definitely his favorite. He obtained his Civil Engineering degree from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1991, his M Sc in Applied Mathematics from Brown University in 1995, and his Ph D in Aerospace Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1998. He is a Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and has been on the MIT faculty since 2001. He is also the Associate Director of the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a member of the National Football League Engineering Committee. Among other accolades recognizing his dedication to students, he is the recipient of the 2014 Student Champion Award for his excellence as a freshman advisor, and the 2018 Alan J. Lazarus Award (1953) Excellence in Advising Award.

The Institute is a family affair for the Radovitzkys. Flavia has been a senior administrative assistant with the MIT-Portugal Program and IDSS for the past 14 years. Their sons Felipe and Ben are both MIT undergrads, class of 2020 and 2022, course 2 and 6 respectively. When they were younger, they attended MIT summer camp for many years. The Radovitzkys love the outdoors and particularly enjoy sailing, skiing and kiteboarding as a family.

Food is another passion for them. The entire family has an international flair for cooking, drawing on Italian, Spanish, Jewish, French, and Argentine culinary traditions for inspiration. Raúl is known for taking meals with small groups of students, or cooking an authentic Argentine barbecue — called an “asado” — for students in his classes at the end of the spring term. They truly enjoy food, music, company and lively conversation.

Flavia has led the design and execution of several renovation projects at McCormick, including three new lounges, the game room with its own first 4K projector on campus, the west penthouse, and more on the way. 

Both Flavia and Raul have dearly enjoyed their daily interactions with the McCormick community in the last five years, especially the events that they introduced and have, by now, become traditions: Pasta nights, Karaoke, Make your Own Pizza nights, and rain-shine-or-snow monthly BBQs in the Courtyard.

Heads of House Raul Radovitzky and Flavia Cardarelli with sons Ben (left) and Felipe (right)