Should Harvard’s Next President Come From the Sciences? HMS Professors Weigh In.

As Harvard is set to embark on its 31st presidential search, some University affiliates are calling on the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — to select someone who was trained in the sciences.

Interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 — who received a degree from Stanford Medical School — is the first president since James B. Conant, Class of 1914, to be trained in the sciences.

But as Harvard increasingly prioritizes scientific fields of study, some Harvard Medical School professors said they believe it would be helpful to have a president with a similar academic background.

HMS professor Reza Dana said in an interview that he was “excited” about Harvard bucking its recent trend of selecting presidents from the humanities or the social sciences.

“To the extent that Harvard University has been mandated, if you will, by itself to be at the forefront of society and chaperoning the forces that move society, I think it would be nice for the presidential role to be also represented within the domain of sciences,” Dana said.

Dana said that Harvard’s growing emphasis on the sciences — represented through the construction of the Science and Engineering Complex and the founding of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — would enhance innovation at the University, especially in relation to peer institutions.

Dana also said that a president “whose credibility is based on sciences” would be beneficial to the University.

In addition to supporting the University’s dedication to the sciences, such a president would be able to “reach across the aisle” with regards to academic disciplines — according to HMS Professor of Pediatrics Jonathan C. Kagan.

Kagan described the versatility of a science background in interacting with the humanities.

“Science is actually a common currency in academia,” he said.

“We have begun to use science more and more in the lexicon of academia, even in the humanities,” Kagan added.

HMS Microbiology professor Lee Gehrke said that having someone with a sciences background could make it easier for scientists to connect with the University’s president.

“I think in any presidential search, if the candidate or the president who’s chosen is from one’s field, you automatically feel a kind of kinship with them,” Gehrke said. “This person must understand what my problems are, and things like that.”

Gehrke, however, said that not having credentials from a scientific field should not disqualify any candidates either.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind if it were somebody from the sciences,” he added. “But I do not think that that’s a prerequisite to have a great leader for the University.”

Gehrke, who has worked at HMS for over 40 years, explained that current HMS Dean George Q. Daley ’82 is “well-respected” and an example of a strong contender for the presidency.

“He has the right people skills,” Gehrke said. “I think he’s been tested under fire at the Medical School, and I think he’s been very successful in solving financial problems.”

Philip A. Cole, professor of medicine at HMS, said a science background may help create a “natural linkage” between the “more than 10,000 faculty members at Harvard Medical School that are scattered throughout the hospitals.”

Cole said it is “very much appreciated” that Garber was on the Harvard Medical School’s faculty, as Longwood affiliates value “having people that can understand their research and the challenges that they face in their careers.”

“I believe the most important characteristic for Harvard’s next president will be the ability to lead with vision across the enterprise,” said Alexa Kimball, President and CEO of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Cole said that regardless of which academic field the next University president comes from, they should be prepared to tackle issues of “money, space, and people.”

“Funding is always going to be an issue,” he added. “Whether it be salaries or startup funding for new, exciting projects, or whether it's how to deal with indirect costs.”

While Dana said that Harvard’s president typically has less interactions with the Medical School and Harvard-affiliated hospitals, the symbolism behind appointing someone from the sciences is important.

“That itself would be a very empowering thing for our whole community,” he said.

—Staff writer Veronica H. Paulus can be reached at veronica.paulus@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @VeronicaHPaulus.

—Staff writer Akshaya Ravi can be reached at akshaya.ravi@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @akshayaravi22.