FAS
Summers Withdraws From Group of 30 Amid Epstein Scrutiny
Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers withdrew from the Group of 30, an international group of financial leaders and academic economists, on Friday amid escalating scrutiny over his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey E. Epstein, according to a spokesperson.
In Harvard Classrooms, Summers’ Co-Instructors Address His Sudden Exit
Harvard professors who co-taught courses with former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers responded in sharply different ways to his sudden departure when they briefly acknowledged the fallout from Summers’ emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey E. Epstein in class on Thursday.
Harvard To Admit 50% Fewer Ph.D. Students in Science, Walking Back Deeper Cuts
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that it would reduce the number of Ph.D. admissions slots for the Science division by 50 percent for the current admissions cycle, walking back plans for even steeper cuts after faculty responded with frustration to the reductions.
State Department Opens Inquiry into Harvard CAMLab After Former Employee Files Complaint
The State Department opened an inquiry into the Harvard Cognitive Aesthetics Media Lab, after a former employee filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that the lab mishandled the admissions process for its visiting scholars program.
HUA Debuts Harvy, An AI-Powered Course Search Engine
The tool helps students find courses for the upcoming semester by recommending classes based on academic information they provide, and answers prompt-based questions about Harvard’s course offerings.
New South Korean Ambassador to U.S. Says Country Will Take an Active Role in Improving Relations with Neighbors
Kang Kyung-wha, the newly appointed South Korean ambassador to the United States, said her country aims to be a “bridge” between global powers in an online forum hosted by the Korea Institute at Harvard on Thursday.
‘Turn the Temperature Down’: Panelists Talk National Unity, Immigration at Harvard Safra Center Talk
An interdisciplinary group of panelists mulled over immigration and national unity during a panel hosted by the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics on Wednesday.
Psych Professor Steven Pinker Criticizes Cancel Culture in Academia, Promotes Ideological Openness at IOP Forum
Harvard Psychology professor Steven A. Pinker condemned the rise of cancel culture in higher education at an Institute of Politics Forum on Wednesday, telling his audience that academics must avoid punitive reactions to peers who voice unorthodox beliefs.
Nobel-Winning DNA Scholar James Watson, Dead at 97, Leaves Famed but Fraught Legacy at Harvard
James “Jim” D. Watson, who helped discover the structure of DNA at age 25 and went on to spend 21 years as a Harvard biology professor, died last Thursday at 97.
At Harvard Panel, Scholars Say Ancient DNA May ‘Challenge Assumptions’ of Ethnic Homogeneity in Medieval England
A German archaeologist discussed his team’s research on two cadavers buried in early medieval England — both of whom had recent West African ancestry and appeared to be socially integrated with their communities — at a Harvard panel on Thursday.
Harvard Faculty Adjust to Teaching in the Political Hot Seat
As Harvard spends another year under the glare of a political spotlight, its instructors face a new challenge: teaching students about the same topics that draw furious headlines.
Harvard Faculty Question Whether Steep Ph.D. Cuts Are Necessary
Some Harvard faculty said they were frustrated with the recent reductions in Ph.D. admission numbers at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, even as some accepted the cuts as a difficult but necessary step for the University's finances.
Harvard’s FAS Is Running a $365 Million Structural Deficit. The Problems Started Well Before Trump.
Underlying financial weaknesses set Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences on the path toward its estimated $365 million structural deficit, even before the Trump administration pushed its finances to a breaking point, according to projections presented by a faculty committee on Tuesday.
Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences Runs a $350 Million Structural Deficit
Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences is running an estimated structural deficit of approximately $350 million, a major shortfall that will require a dramatic reworking of its budget, FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra announced in an email to affiliates Tuesday afternoon.
Planning Group Releases Proposed Bylaws for a Faculty Senate at Harvard
The planning body for a University-wide faculty senate released proposed bylaws for the group on Friday, recommending a 43-member senate that would help advise Harvard’s central administration and governing boards on issues that cut across the University.
Academic Publishing Keeps Getting More Expensive. Some Harvard Scholars Want to Make It Free.
The high cost of publishing open access has plagued researchers for years, but a dedicated group of Harvard scientists and librarians are fighting to alleviate the costs of publishing.
‘Soul-Crushing’: Students Slam Harvard’s Grade Inflation Report
Harvard students pushed back forcefully against a new University report condemning grade inflation, arguing that it misrepresented their academic experience and would add pressure to an already demanding campus environment.
SEAS Researchers Develop Wearable Sensor System to Measure Running Forces Outdoors
Researchers at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a wearable sensor system capable of estimating braking and propulsion forces while running outdoors — a breakthrough that could transform how scientists analyze real-world running mechanics.
Harvard Physics Professor John Huth Wins U.S. ATLAS Lifetime Achievement Award
Harvard Physics professor John Huth was awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award by ATLAS, a group of American particle physicists.
Harvard College’s Grading System Is ‘Failing,’ Report on Grade Inflation Says
More Harvard College students than ever are passing their classes with flying colors, but the College’s evaluation system is “failing to perform the key functions of grading,” according to a report released by the Office of Undergraduate Education on Monday.
FAS Officials Confront Union Organizers Over Harvard’s Campus Use Rules During Rally
Faculty of Arts and Sciences officials confronted members of Harvard’s campus unions over their use of a megaphone at a Thursday rally on the steps of Widener Library, citing a violation of Harvard’s campus use rules.
Archeologist Clemency Coggins Criticizes Peabody Museum’s 20th-Century Chichén Itzá Excavation Project
Renowned archaeologist Clemency C. Coggins criticized Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography for excavating the Mexican Sacred Cenote without properly accounting for the “archaeological context” of the site.
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for the next two years.
AAAS Professor Marcyliena Morgan Remembered for Dedication to Truth, Hip-Hop Scholarship
A professor of African and African American Studies, Morgan was known for pioneering the study of hip-hop as an intellectual endeavor. She died in September due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 75.
Michael Sandel Wins $1 Million Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture
Sandel won $1 million from the Berggruen Institute and was named their 2025 laureate for Philosophy & Culture on Tuesday.