Sciences Division
‘The Total Package’: Harvard Faculty Hail Hoekstra’s Selection as Next FAS Dean
From the sciences to the humanities, Harvard professors are praising Hopi E. Hoekstra, a professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Molecular and Cellular Biology who was announced Monday as the University’s next dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
‘Capable of Change and Evolution’: The Debut of Harvard’s Undergraduate Science Center
Today, having a class in the Science Center is a staple of the Harvard College experience. But when the Class of 1973 arrived at Harvard, construction had not even begun on what is now an iconic feature of the University.
Who the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Want as Harvard’s Most Powerful Dean
As Claudine Gay prepares to move from her station in University Hall to the president’s office across Harvard Yard, one of her most important tasks will be to select her own successor as the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. With the search now in motion, several FAS professors spoke with The Crimson about their hopes for the successor to Harvard’s most powerful dean.
Harvard Sciences Dean Stubbs Offers No Comment on Interest in FAS Dean Vacancy
Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs declined to comment on whether he is interested in succeeding University President-elect Claudine Gay as the next Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean, calling the position a very “demanding” role.
Quantum Physicist Mikhail Lukin Appointed University Professor
Quantum physicist Mikhail Lukin has been appointed a University Professor, Harvard’s highest faculty rank, the University announced Tuesday.
Yoshito Kishi, Organic Chemist Who Climbed ‘Mount Everest’ of Synthesis, Dies at 85
Yoshito Kishi, a Harvard emeritus chemistry professor known for his contributions to breast cancer treatment, died on Jan. 9.
Harvard Researchers Receive Grant to Develop New Treatments for Neurodegenerative Diseases
A team of Harvard researchers received a grant from the Vranos Family Foundation for a five-year project seeking to find new methods to treat neurodegenerative diseases, according to a December press release.
Harvard Researchers Receive NIH Funding for Biomedical, Behavioral, and Social Sciences Research
Nine Harvard researchers are set to receive a total of more than $200 million in grants over the next five years through a National Institutes of Health program that funds “high-risk, high-reward” research.
Following Harvard Report on ‘Unsustainable’ Faculty Workload, FAS Dean Gay Solicits Professors’ Feedback
After a report found that Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences faces an “increasing and unsustainable” amount of non-research work, the school is holding discussions to collect feedback on the report’s recommendations.
Harvard Study Identifies Key Role of Soil Moisture on Crop Yields
A new research study by Harvard faculty is shedding light on the significant influence of water supply on global crop yields and its connection to climate change.
Harvard Astrophysicist Avi Loeb Set to Explore Pacific Ocean for Potential ‘Alien’ Meteor Fragments
Harvard professor and astrophysicist Abraham “Avi” Loeb is preparing to search the Pacific Ocean floor for fragments of an interstellar meteor and potential alien technology.
'An Open Secret’: Harvard Graduate Students Decry Harassment, Neglect from Faculty
In the wake of the Comaroff controversy, graduate students say power-based abuse by faculty pervades advising relations.
Seventy-Three Students Awarded 2022 Hoopes Prize
Seventy-three students undergraduates learned Thursday that they had won the Hoopes Prize, an award that recognizes outstanding scholarly work each year.
Harvard FAS Dean to Release Plans on Implementing Tenure Process Changes
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Claudine Gay said in an interview last Wednesday she hopes to release plans in the coming weeks on how to implement recommendations issued last fall by a committee that reviewed Harvard's tenure process.
Following Charles Lieber’s Conviction, ‘Shock’ and Sadness Linger Among His Harvard Colleagues
Following Chemistry professor Charles M. Lieber’s conviction last month, Harvard scientists say they are “shocked” and “saddened” about the prolific research chemist's fall from grace — and apprehensive about the future of international scientific collaboration.
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Pledges $500 Million for AI Institute at Harvard
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan ’07 pledged $500 million over the next 15 years to found the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence at Harvard, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced Tuesday.
Amber Fossil Shows Crabs Lived on Land Earlier than Previously Thought
Non-marine crabs began to live on land at least 100 million years ago, according to recently published research by evolutionary biologists, including Javier Luque, a researcher at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Harvard Study Finds Human Resting Metabolic Rate Has Declined Since 1830
The human resting metabolic rate and levels of physical activity have declined in the United States since 1830, according to a recent study by researchers in Harvard’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology.
Harvard Study Finds Ancient Asteroid Collisions Far More Common Than Previously Thought
Past asteroid collisions took place far more frequently than previously thought and influenced the timeline of Earth’s increase in atmospheric oxygen, according to a recent study by Harvard Earth and Planetary Sciences faculty.
Harvard Chemists Use Dyes as a New Data Storage Method
Harvard chemists developed a new data storage method using fluorescent dyes that may be much more durable and cost-efficient than traditional storage methods.
Students, Faculty Conflicted Over Return to In-Person Labs
With the benefits of virtual labs in mind, Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs said Harvard’s Board of Overseers and the Science Education Office are discussing the question of what aspects of virtual learning could be applied in the return to in-person work.
Harvard Prof. Loeb Launches ‘Galileo Project,’ Systematic Hunt for Signs of Extraterrestrial Life
In a move that some of his peers consider risky but rewarding, Harvard professor and astrophysicist Abraham “Avi” Loeb last month launched a systematic search for artifacts or active technology created by extraterrestrial beings, called the “Galileo Project.”
Biology Lecturer’s Comments on Biological Sex Draw Backlash
Human Evolutionary Biology lecturer Carole K. Hooven’s comments on a Fox News show last month maintaining the existence of two sexes and defending the usage of the terms “male” and “female” to refer to biological sex in medical classes sparked backlash on social media and within the department.
‘Disrespected, Devalued, or Dismissed’: University Affiliates Assess Harvard’s Commitment to Black Scholars
Dean of the Faculty of the Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay acknowledged in a March faculty meeting that, despite the best efforts of University leaders, Black academics at Harvard face “particular challenges” in addition to already-rigorous teaching and research responsibilities.
Harvard to Launch Ph.D. Program in Quantum Science and Engineering
Harvard will launch a Ph.D. program in Quantum Science and Engineering, which it said would be “one of the world’s first,” according to a Monday morning announcement.