Faculty
As Summers Sought Clandestine Relationship With Woman He Called a Mentee, Epstein Was His ‘Wing Man’
When former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers was pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a mentee, he turned to a longtime associate for guidance: convicted sex offender Jeffrey E. Epstein.
Trump Orders Justice Dept. To Investigate Ties Between Epstein, Summers
The Justice Department asked a federal prosecutor on Friday to investigate ties between child sex trafficker Jeffrey E. Epstein and a list of prominent figures including Harvard professor Lawrence H. Summers.
Harvard Faculty Disturbed by Revelations of Summers’ ‘Cozy Friendship’ With Epstein
Harvard professors responded with outrage to a tranche of emails showing a close yearslong correspondence between former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers and sex offender Jeffrey E. Epstein, reopening an old and bitter divide between Summers and the faculty.
Harvard Technology Services Lays Off Dozens of Workers, Citing ‘Financial Challenges’
Harvard laid off 38 information technology workers last week in its latest cost-cutting measure as the University faces extended financial uncertainty.
Jeffrey Epstein Ridiculed Lawyer Alan Dershowitz in Private, New Emails Show
Jeffrey E. Epstein, the financier at the heart of an infamous child sex trafficking operation, privately disparaged former Harvard professor Alan M. Dershowitz over a period of years even as Dershowitz, his lawyer, continued providing legal guidance, according to emails released by Congress on Wednesday.
‘Turn the Temperature Down’: Panelists Talk National Unity, Immigration at Harvard Safra Center Talk
An interdisciplinary group of panelists mulled over immigration and national unity during a panel hosted by the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics on Wednesday.
Psych Professor Steven Pinker Criticizes Cancel Culture in Academia, Promotes Ideological Openness at IOP Forum
Harvard Psychology professor Steven A. Pinker condemned the rise of cancel culture in higher education at an Institute of Politics Forum on Wednesday, telling his audience that academics must avoid punitive reactions to peers who voice unorthodox beliefs.
Nobel-Winning DNA Scholar James Watson, Dead at 97, Leaves Famed but Fraught Legacy at Harvard
James “Jim” D. Watson, who helped discover the structure of DNA at age 25 and went on to spend 21 years as a Harvard biology professor, died last Thursday at 97.
Harvard AAUP Asks Judge To Extend Speech Protections to International Students, Faculty Nationwide
After winning a court victory against the Trump administration in September, a Harvard faculty group is asking a federal judge to extend protections for noncitizens’ speech nationwide.
Harvard Researchers Say Strong Campaigns, Effective Anti-Trump Messaging Boosted Democrats in 2025 Elections
Political scientists at Harvard said Democratic victories in last week’s off-cycle elections were a sign of powerful backlash to Donald Trump’s presidency, but that Democrats could not afford to rest on their laurels ahead of the 2026 midterms.
At Harvard Panel, Scholars Say Ancient DNA May ‘Challenge Assumptions’ of Ethnic Homogeneity in Medieval England
A German archaeologist discussed his team’s research on two cadavers buried in early medieval England — both of whom had recent West African ancestry and appeared to be socially integrated with their communities — at a Harvard panel on Thursday.
Harvard Faculty Adjust to Teaching in the Political Hot Seat
As Harvard spends another year under the glare of a political spotlight, its instructors face a new challenge: teaching students about the same topics that draw furious headlines.
Harvard Faculty Question Whether Steep Ph.D. Cuts Are Necessary
Some Harvard faculty said they were frustrated with the recent reductions in Ph.D. admission numbers at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, even as some accepted the cuts as a difficult but necessary step for the University's finances.
Archaeologists Present Findings on Enslaved People Buried in Old Burying Ground
Harvard archaeology professor Jason Ur and Johns Hopkins professor Aja M. Lans presented their findings on the enslaved individuals buried in the Old Burying Ground cemetery across from Harvard Yard last Wednesday.
Harvard Astrophysicist Puts Observatory on Top of the Las Vegas Sphere to Search for UAPs
A team of Harvard researchers established an observatory on top of the Sphere, a giant immersive entertainment venue in Las Vegas, in order to detect signs of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or mysterious objects in the sky.
Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences Runs a $350 Million Structural Deficit
Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences is running an estimated structural deficit of approximately $350 million, a major shortfall that will require a dramatic reworking of its budget, FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra announced in an email to affiliates Tuesday afternoon.
Planning Group Releases Proposed Bylaws for a Faculty Senate at Harvard
The planning body for a University-wide faculty senate released proposed bylaws for the group on Friday, recommending a 43-member senate that would help advise Harvard’s central administration and governing boards on issues that cut across the University.
Harvard Study Classifies 70% of U.S. Adults as Obese Under New Definition
70% of Americans may now be classified as obese, according to a new study authored by Harvard Medical School researchers investigating an updated definition for obesity.
The Former Harvard Professor Who Won This Year’s Nobel Prize in Economics
Former Harvard Economics professor Philippe M. Aghion won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his research on economic growth and innovation, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Oct. 13.
Harvard Lays Off Student Advisers and Lecturers in SEAS Cuts
Nearly a dozen positions that directly support students were among those eliminated in a sweeping round of layoffs at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences earlier this month, according to a document obtained by The Crimson.
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for the next two years.
Harvard Unions Stage Poster Campaign in Protest of Black Lives Matter Sign Removal
Members of three Harvard unions plastered hundreds of Black Lives Matter posters across campus on Thursday to protest the University’s decision to remove a sign bearing the same message from two professors’ office windows this summer.
Michael Sandel Wins $1 Million Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture
Sandel won $1 million from the Berggruen Institute and was named their 2025 laureate for Philosophy & Culture on Tuesday.
New Butterfly Species Named After Harvard Lecturer Andrew Berry
A newly designated butterfly species, Euptychia andrewberryi, has been named in honor of Harvard lecturer Andrew J. Berry by postdoctoral fellow Shinichi Nakahara, who identified the species.
Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Lays Off 25% of HUCTW Staff
Harvard will lay off roughly 25 percent of staff represented by its clerical and technical workers’ union at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and reorganize several offices in response to mounting funding pressures, according to the union.