HSPH Faculty Meet Over Summers

Professors at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) held a special Faculty meeting yesterday to discuss their response to the controversy following University President Lawrence H. Summers’ Jan. 14 comments about women in science.

The approximately 50 faculty members present at the meeting considered the language of a letter they plan to send to Summers next week, according to Robin Herman, the director of communications for HSPH.

“There’s plenty of concern about the events of the past month or so, and what the effects might be for both the public and the faculty in our community,” Herman said. “They wanted to speak about events from the past month, and how to go forward.”

The meeting was led by Professor of International Health Jennifer Leaning ’68 and Professor of Biostatistics Nan M. Laird.

Herman said that the Faculty has referred the issue to HSPH’s Faculty Council. The six-member group will decide upon the final text of the letter, which will be sent to Summers “on behalf of the Faculty.”

The next meeting of the HSPH Faculty Council is scheduled for Tuesday.

Two members of the Faculty Council declined to comment on the letter, and the other four could not be reached for comment yesterday.

One faculty member who attended the meeting, Professor of Chemistry in Public Health Donald F. Hornig, described the meeting as “very constructive.”

“Obviously there were some points of difference, but it was respectful and civil,” Hornig said as he left the meeting.

He added that the Faculty tried not to focus too much on criticism of Summers’ past remarks in their letter, but instead put forth suggestions aimed at improving the environment for women in the sciences in the future.

At least 20 Faculty members approached after the meeting declined to comment.

—Staff writer Evan H. Jacobs can be reached at ehjacobs@fas.harvard.edu.