Faculty News
FAS Dean Gay Outlines Plan for Diversifying Faculty, Supporting Junior Faculty
Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Claudine Gay outlined her vision for recruiting new and more diverse faculty in an interview Thursday.
Defying Projections, FAS Ends Fiscal Year with $51M Surplus
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences ended fiscal year 2021 with a $51 million surplus, according to the Dean’s annual report, which was presented during a monthly faculty meeting Tuesday.
Embattled Professor Charles Lieber to Go on Trial in December
Former Harvard Chemistry chair Charles M. Lieber will head to trial this December to fight six felony charges brought against him by federal prosecutors.
Bacow Defends Use of Confidential Committees in Tenure Process Following FAS Review
Just over a week after a review of Harvard’s tenure process found that the use of secretive ad hoc committees “erodes faculty trust” in the system, University President Lawrence S. Bacow defended the school’s use of the committees as a necessary aspect of deliberations.
SEAS Hires Seven New Computer Science Professors
The Computer Science department appointed seven new faculty members in a cluster hire, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences announced Monday.
FAS Review Largely Upholds Tenure System Despite Acknowledging ‘Mistrust and Low Morale’
A review of tenure processes within the Faculty of the Arts and Sciences found that the tenure-track system is “structurally sound” but recommended adjustments in certain aspects of the system to address “mistrust and low morale” in the process.
Harvard Kennedy School Professor Marcella Alsan Wins MacArthur Grant
Marcella M. Alsan is the Kennedy School’s first female MacArthur Fellow and the sole Harvard faculty member among this year’s 25 recipients.
SEAS Appoints Committee on Plans to Consolidate Cambridge Buildings
The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences appointed a task force to reexamine the plans it announced in June to vacate the historic Pierce Hall and consolidate its Cambridge footprint, with some faculty pushing back on the proposed move.
Jim Stock, Longtime Economics Professor, to Serve as First Harvard Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability
Harvard announced Tuesday it would create a new vice provost position to oversee its efforts related to climate change and sustainability and appointed Harvard economics professor James H. Stock to the role.
Psychology Professor James Sidanius, Leading Scholar and ‘Renaissance Man,’ Dies at 75
Harvard Psychology and African and African American Studies professor James H. Sidanius died on June 29 at age 75.
Anthropology Professor Ted Bestor Dies at 69
Harvard Anthropology professor Theodore C. “Ted” Bestor died July 1 at the age of 69 after a long battle with cancer.
Lieber Case Moves Closer to Trial
Former Harvard Chemistry chair Charles M. Lieber on Friday moved one step closer to a trial on federal charges as his attorneys and prosecutors confirmed they have completed discovery and agreed to meet for a pretrial status conference.
Launching Gubernatorial Bid, Harvard Prof. Danielle Allen Pledges To ‘Reimagine’ the Commonwealth
With the Massachusetts State House behind her, Harvard Government professor Danielle S. Allen officially launched her 2022 campaign for Massachusetts governor as a Democratic candidate at an event on Boston Common Tuesday morning.
Harvard Professor Danielle Allen Officially Announces 2022 Campaign for Mass. Governor
Harvard Government professor Danielle S. Allen will officially launch her 2022 campaign for Massachusetts governor as a Democratic candidate on Boston Common Tuesday morning.
Bacow Confident in Harvard’s ‘Process Improvements’ Following Domínguez Report
University President Lawrence S. Bacow said Harvard has been “putting processes in place” to improve its procedures for vetting University leadership candidates after an external review found a Government professor was repeatedly promoted despite a record of sexual harassment.
Economics Professor Isaiah Andrews Awarded Clark Medal
Professor of Economics Isaiah S. Andrews won the John Bates Clark Medal earlier this month for his contributions to the field of econometrics.
Two-Thirds of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Say FAS Does Not Provide Them Enough Support
Two-thirds of non-tenure-track respondents to The Crimson’s annual faculty survey said they believe the Faculty of Arts and Sciences does not provide enough support to non-tenure-track faculty.
Sciences Dean Stubbs Says Federal Science Funding Could Increase, Denies ‘Academic Espionage’ at Harvard
Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs said in an interview that funding for scientific research has the potential to increase under the Biden administration. Stubbs also objected to the notion that there is “academic espionage” on Harvard’s campus.
Forty Percent of Surveyed Faculty Say Harvard’s Standing in Higher Ed Has Fallen
Over 40 percent of respondents to The Crimson’s survey of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences said they believe the University’s standing within higher education has fallen during the past decade.
Four Harvard Affiliates Awarded Guggenheim Fellowships
Four Harvard affiliates were among the 184 recipients of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, an annual award recognizing exceptional scholarly and artistic achievement, the Guggenheim Foundation announced Thursday.
While Most Surveyed Faculty Satisfied with Transition to Remote, 80% Say Virtual Learning Less Valuable for Students
Eighty percent of surveyed members of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences said they think a remote semester is not as valuable as an in-person semester for students, with 43 percent of respondents indicating “strong” disagreement.
80% of Surveyed Harvard Faculty Say FAS Lacks Healthy Level of BIPOC Faculty Representation
Eighty percent of surveyed members of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences said FAS does not have a healthy level of BIPOC representation within its ranks, including 50 percent of respondents who strongly disagreed that the faculty is sufficiently diverse.
Bacow Defends Harvard’s Tenure Process Following Cornel West’s Decision to Depart
University President Lawrence S. Bacow declined to provide details on the circumstances that led to the departure of Cornel R. West ’74, citing confidentiality policies, but defended Harvard’s existing tenure process in a Thursday interview.
Koumoutsakos Appointed Institute of Applied Computational Science Director
Professor of Computing in Science and Engineering Petros Koumoutsakos, who joined Harvard faculty this semester, assumed the directorship of Harvard’s Institute for Applied Computational Science.
Harvard Reversed Course And Offered Cornel West Consideration for Tenure After Public Outcry, He Says
In an interview with The Crimson, Professor Cornel R. West ’74 said Harvard changed course following public pressure and offered to consider him for tenure, but the fact that this reversal came only after external scrutiny merely solidified his decision to leave the University.