Sciences Division
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.
Faculty Discuss Fall Semester ‘Hybrid’ Classes, Propose Quantum Science and Engineering Program
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences professor Evelyn L. Hu and Physics professor John M. Doyle moved for the establishment of a new graduate program in Quantum Science and Engineering during a meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Tuesday.
Chicxulub Impactor that Killed the Dinosaurs Was A Comet Fragment, Not An Asteroid, Harvard Researchers Theorize
Harvard astrophysicists proposed a new model showing that the Chicxulub impactor — the celestial body responsible for the mass extinction of the dinosaurs — could have been of cometary, rather than asteroidal origin, in a study published in Scientific Reports on Monday.
Harvard Researchers Achieve Tunable Superconductivity in Trilayer Graphene
Harvard scientists have developed a new twisted graphene configuration for achieving superconductivity that could help lead to the realization of superconductors at higher temperatures, according to a Feb. 4 paper published in Science.
SEAS Welcomes Sophomores at Virtual Convocation
The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences officially welcomed concentrators from the class of 2023 at its first virtual sophomore convocation Thursday night.
Harvard Physicist Federico Capasso Wins Ives Medal and Quinn Prize in Optics
Harvard Applied Physics professor Federico Capasso was awarded the 2021 Frederic Ives Medal and Jarus W. Quinn Prize, the Optical Society announced Thursday.
U.S. Attorney in Lieber Case Says He Encourages Lawful Academic Collaboration with China: ‘No One is Saying Don’t Do It’
Disclosure by academics and cooperation from universities are paramount in maintaining a balance between open academic exchange and national security priorities, United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a Jan. 20 interview with The Crimson.
Finding Ways to Move Forward: How STEM Seniors Adapted to Virtual Theses
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to remote learning, many seniors studying in the STEM fields have had to redesign their thesis projects.
Harvard Researchers Pioneer New Technology for High-Resolution, 3D Chromosome Imaging
Harvard researchers have devised a novel technology for high-resolution, 3D imaging of human chromosomes — structures that carry DNA — in single cells, in a study published in Cell in August.
Harvard, California Researchers Discover Spur Development Gene in Columbine Flowers
Researchers at Harvard, CSU Sacramento, and UCSB discovered a new gene responsible for nectar spur development in columbine flowers.
Harvard Study Reveals Octopi Can 'Taste' by Touch
Harvard researchers found that octopi use a family of specialized cells called chemotactile receptors to “taste” using their sense of touch when employing their arms.
SEAS Dean Sees ‘Silver Linings’ in New Allston Timeline
With the move into the new Science and Engineering Complex in Allston less than two weeks away, SEAS Dean Francis J. Doyle III confirmed progress is on-track.
Graphic Novel Creators Talk Power of Science Comics at Center for Astrophysics Observatory Night
Writer Jim Ottaviani and writer and illustrator Maris Wicks spoke about how science comics can be a powerful tool for storytelling at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’s final 2020 Observatory Night on Thursday.
OEB Professor Showcases 3-D Models of ‘Wonderful Cambrian Beasts’ in Webinar
Javier Ortega-Hernández, an Organismic and Evolutionary Biology professor at Harvard, reconstructed the history of the versatile organisms which lived more than half a billion years ago in his Wednesday evening lecture, “Wonderful Cambrian Beasts.”
Harvard Researchers Discover Wobbling Shadow of Supermassive Black Hole
Harvard astrophysicists have discovered that the crescent-like shadow of the Messier 87 (M87*) black hole appears to be wobbling.
Harvard Researchers Develop Potential Virus-Neutralizing Purifier Inspired by Butterfly Wings
A new coating technology developed by researchers at the Wyss Institute — an engineering research center at Harvard — and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences could soon be used to develop air purification devices.
Wyss Researchers Develop Vaccine Platform Potentially Effective Against COVID-19 and Other Diseases
Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute are developing a vaccine structure that could more effectively combat COVID-19 and other viruses.
SEAS Researchers Develop New Portable, Injectable Blood Clotting Agent
Researchers at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a portable, injectable blood clotting agent which has demonstrated high efficacy in preliminary trials with mice models.
Emily Balskus Becomes First Female Harvard Scientist to Win Waterman Award
The Waterman Award recognizes researchers under age 40 “who demonstrate exceptional individual achievements in scientific or engineering research in NSF-supported fields,” according to the NSF. Awardees each receive 1 million dollars to support research in their field.
Harvard Scientists Illuminate Light’s Surprising Impact on Ultra-Cold Chemistry
Harvard researchers uncovered the surprising role of light in ultra-cold chemical reactions, according to an article published last month in the scientific journal Nature Physics.
Former Chemistry Chair Lieber Indicted on Four Additional Felonies for Tax Offenses
Federal authorities charged former Harvard Chemistry chair Charles M. Lieber in a superseding indictment with tax offenses for failing to report income he received from Wuhan University of Technology, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
College Will Require All Fall Courses to Guarantee Students Two to Four Hours of Live Interaction
Though all courses will be virtual this fall, Harvard College expects professors to guarantee every student — regardless of time zone — between two and four hours of live interaction with course staff or peers each week, according to official College guidelines.
Faculty and Admins Plan New D&I Initiatives Following ShutDownSTEM Meetings
Harvard faculty and administrators working in STEM fields say they are planning new initiatives to increase diversity and inclusivity in their fields after participating in ShutDownSTEM, a nationwide campaign dedicated to combating systemic racism in academia.
Harvard Astronomy Chair Nominated for President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
Harvard Astronomy department chair Abraham Loeb was nominated to be a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on Monday.
Harvard, Bonn Researchers Discover Potential Discrepancies in Assumption of Isotropy
Researchers at Harvard and the University of Bonn published a study April 7 casting possible doubt upon the longstanding assumption that the universe is isotropic.