Promising Scientists Garner Fellowships

Eight Harvard researchers were awarded $40,000 fellowships by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation last week for showing “exceptional promise” early in their careers.

The fellowship recipients are Assistant Professors of Chemistry and Chemical Biology David R. Liu ’94 and Hongkun Park, Assistant Professors of Computer Science Avrom J. Pfeffer and Salil P. Vadhan, and Assistant Professors of Physics Eugene A. Demler, Andrew D. Foland, Shiraz Minwalla, and Masahiro Morii.

This group includes a biological chemist, a string theorist and a computer scientist interested in cryptography.

Harvard’s contingent is part of a group of 104 fellows nationwide and is second in number only to MIT’s nine fellows.

Minwalla explores the little-understood area of string theory, a field that many scientists hope will be able to provide a complete picture of our universe’s physical laws.

Minwalla said his work might help answer fundamental theoretical questions in mathematics and physics.

“The major problems of high energy physics today are in finding a theory of gravity that is consistent with quantum mechanics,” Minwalla said. “Gravity is a force that applies to large fields and quantum mechanics is important in small scales and although we understand each piece very well, we actually haven’t managed to find a theory that is consistent when we go to very short distances.”

While Minwalla’s research is strictly theoretical, Liu’s is hands-on in the laboratory.

Liu, who teaches Chemistry 27; Organic Chemistry of Life, studies the evolution of molecules such as DNA and protein. He said he uses his research to synthesize new molecules that, like DNA, can be replicated and can evolve.

“It is an award that we feel very fortunate to receive,” said Liu. “It will allow us to support graduate students’ research.”

In the realm of computer science, Vadhan’s research deals with the mathetmatical theory behind computation—work he said offers insight into cryptography and algorithms.

“[It’s] technology that prevents hackers from getting your credit card number every time you send it over the internet,” said Vadhan, who teaches Computer Science 120: Introduction to Cryptography.

Since the program’s inception in 1955, 28 Sloan Fellows nationwide have gone on to win Nobel Prizes including Baird Professor of Science Dudley H. Hershbach, and famous mathematician John Nash.

“I felt very honored, both to be nominated by Harvard and then to be

selected by the Sloan Foundation because I know that there are many

people out there doing great research,” Vadhan said. “It’s wonderful that they have such fellowships to help us new faculty out early in our careers, before we’ve had a chance to establish a steady stream of grant support.”

—Staff writer M. Helene Van Wagenberg at mvan@fas.harvard.edu.