FAS
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.
Harvard FAS To ‘Significantly’ Reduce Graduate Program Admissions Amid Budget Tightening
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences will admit new Ph.D. students “at significantly reduced levels” this year as Harvard shrinks its budgets in response to mounting federal funding pressures, according to a Tuesday email from FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra.
Harvard Medical School Nixed a 2024 Graduation Speaker Over Pro-Palestine Statements
Harvard Medical School administrators removed from consideration a potential speaker for the school’s 2024 Class Day out of concern that pro-Palestine messages she had posted on social media would be “polarizing,” according to a document obtained by The Crimson.
Students Mourn the Loss of Free Coffee as Schools, Departments Trim Budgets
Harvard students in the know used to have no problem finding free coffee on campus. Now, schools and departments have removed coffee-making equipment or slapped prices on coffee that was previously poured for free.
Harvard Researchers Say More Than 60 Percent of American Children Will Use Medicaid or CHIP
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health estimated that 42 percent of American children will experience at least one gap in health insurance coverage before they turn 18 in a study published on Wednesday.
MethaneSAT Went Dark in June. What’s Next for the Harvard Scientists Behind It?
In March 2024, a state-of-the-art methane-detecting satellite — the product of nearly a decade of work in Harvard labs — soared into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. But a year later, MethaneSAT lost power in space, and its stream of data on emissions of the potent greenhouse gas went dark.
Harvard Hires New Faculty in Jewish Studies
Harvard is on track to add three tenured professors to its ranks in Jewish Studies to address a series of retirements and faculty vacancies that threatened the program’s future.
A Surprise Tenure Denial in Harvard’s Gender Studies Program Leaves Some Faculty Shaken
Durba Mitra’s colleagues thought she was a near-perfect tenure candidate. When her bid was shot down in June, they were left questioning the process.
Arts and Humanities Division Launches Public Culture Project to Promote the Humanities in Public Life
The Project will involve a series of public conversations between speakers from fields such as government, business, and technology to engage in questions about education and work, the role of artificial intelligence in human lives, and the role of God in the U.S., among others.
Embrace AI or Go Analog? Harvard Faculty Adapt to a New Normal
Nearly three years after ChatGPT arrived on the scene, Harvard’s instructors are adjusting to the technology that has reshaped their classrooms. This fall, the changes have been more visible than ever.