SEAS Creates Five New Area Deanships

The Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has created five new administrative positions—termed “area deans”—to oversee subfields within engineering and applied physics.

These five deans join the two existing deans in applied mathematics and computer science. According to SEAS Director of Communications Michael P. Rutter, the seven deans will essentially serve as a “steering committee” to advise SEAS Dean Cherry A. Murray.

Rutter said that Murray has been interested in expanding the area deanships since she first took the reins at SEAS in 2009.

Many of the newly created deans plan to explore the expansion of existing engineering tracks into independent concentrations or secondary fields, according to Rutter.

These proposals are in line with Murray’s stated desire to create distinct majors out of different engineering fields, such as mechanical and electrical engineering, which are currently part of the broader “engineering sciences” concentration.

This process of encouraging finer distinctions began last spring with the creation of the new Biomedical Engineering concentration, which will be offered for the first time this fall.

“The idea is to learn what makes sense for each of these curricular fields: A full major? A minor?” Rutter said. “They’re going to see what works for each individual area.”

Area Dean of Applied Mathematics Michael P. Brenner said that he saw “developing classes and the curriculum” as his “major role.”

“The thing about SEAS is that there aren’t any departments, so the notion of the area deans is to recruit faculty from all different fields to help out in their area,” he said. “These should lead to more organization, and, in the longer term, it will lead to a stronger undergraduate program...something that’s more intellectually coherent and better for students.”

Rutter said that all of the area deans will also focus on improving their curricula, building community among students, and guiding junior faculty.

Area Dean for Environmental Science and Engineering Steve C. Wofsy agreed, saying he was looking to develop a strong curriculum, foster linkages with the Earth and Planetary Sciences and Environmental Science and Public Policy concentrations, and support faculty members in their research and instruction.

“I’m here to help build community and to help faculty out with the bureaucracy,” Wofsy said. “SEAS is too big not to have these [positions].”

—Staff writer Gautam S. Kumar can be reached at gkumar@college.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Evan T.R. Rosenman can be reached at erosen@fas.harvard.edu.