Biology Track will Remain for ’09ers

Members of the Class of 2009 will be able to concentrate in new clusters of life science concentrations as well as the existing ones, Associate Dean of Freshmen Rory A. W. Browne announced in an e-mail sent to first-year students yesterday afternoon.

The notice comes less than three weeks before freshmen must declare their concentrations.

“This isn’t the first official announcement, but we’re trying to get the word out,” said Professor of Anthropology Daniel E. Lieberman ’86, a member of the Life Sciences Education Committee.

Current freshmen will be able to choose among established life science concentrations—Biology, Biochemical Sciences, Chemistry, and Biological Anthropology—as well as five new concentration clusters, Chemical and Physical Biology, Human Evolutionary Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neurobiology, and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. Life science concentrators may also choose to pursue the Social and Cognitive Neuroscience track within psychology.

“We’ve designed the concentrations to make it better, based largely on what students are telling us,” Lieberman said. “There is clearly enormous enthusiasm for new clusters.”

Current life science concentrators will have the option of staying within the established concentrations, although most are likely to switch, Lieberman said. Members of the Class of 2010, though, will not have the option of concentrating in Biology or Biocehmical Sciences.

Freshmen considering life science concentrations have expressed excitement about these new changes.

Andew P. Oakland ’09 praised the addition of the Social and Cognitive Neuroscience track because it will “get more into the reasons behind biological behavior rather than making observations about behavior.”

“Most of the people I’ve talked to about it have thought it’s a really good idea because neuroscience is advancing so fast,” Oakland said about the track, “It’s good that Harvard is recognizing it.”

Reception of the life science changes has not been entirely positive though. “While the old concentrations are a little broad...the new ones may be a bit narrow,” Jennifer J. Esch ’09 wrote in an e-mail.

Esch, who described herself as “leaning towards” Molecular and Cellular Biology, also wrote that the changes are “adding stress” during a period of deadlines, papers, and exams.

—Staff writer Samuel P. Jacobs can be reached at jacobs@fas.harvard.edu.