Sciences Division
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.
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.
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.”
‘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.
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.
Sciences Dean Stubbs Says He is 'Guardedly Optimistic' About Fall Semester Return to Campus
Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs said reactions to this fall’s campus reopening range from “enthusiastic” to “apprehensive” in the Sciences Division in an interview last week.
Harvard Astrophysicists Help Make Historic Discovery in Understanding Black Hole’s Magnetic Fields
A team of astronomers, including Harvard affiliates, have captured the first-ever image of a black hole’s polarized emission — which offers insight into its magnetic fields — according to an article published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters in late March.
Harvard Researchers Elucidate Relationship Between Stress and Hair Loss
Harvard researchers have identified a mechanism explaining how chronic stress may lead to hair loss, according to a study published in Nature last month.
HMS Affiliates Help Publish Novel Study on Causes of Cold-Induced Tooth Pain
Researchers from around the world, including two Harvard Medical School affiliates, announced the discovery of a new cellular function that explains how teeth sense cold temperatures and why that causes tooth pain.
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.
Sciences Dean Stubbs Applauds New Quantum Science Program, Additional Research Endeavors
Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs expressed his excitement for three areas of study within the Sciences Division — including the recently-approved Quantum Science and Engineering graduate program — in an interview last week.
Former Adams House Master and Astronomy Professor William Liller ’48, ‘Enamored With the Cosmos,’ Dies at 93
Former Harvard Astronomy professor and Adams House Master William Liller ’48 couldn’t take his eyes off the stars.
Harvard Center Helps Improve Communication of Quantum Science Concepts in American Sign Language
Harvard’s Center for Integrated Quantum Materials and the Learning Center for the Deaf are developing new signs in American Sign Language for quantum science concepts to increase accessibility in the field.
Harvard Researchers Find Evidence for Supermassive Black Hole Movement
Harvard researchers have found evidence that supermassive black holes move, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal last week.
Rethinking the Science Thesis: Rising Seniors Adapt Lab Research Amid Covid-19
Laboratories affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have scaled-down operations since March of last year due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, science concentrators in the Class of 2022 have been planning and adapting their senior theses with these restrictions in mind.
Allston Science and Engineering Complex Receives LEED Platinum Certification
Harvard’s new Science and Engineering Complex in Allston has received two top sustainability distinctions — LEED platinum status and the Living Building Challenge Petal certification, according to a Wednesday press release.
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.