November-December 2024

On the cover: Illustration by Gary Neill

Cambridge 02138

Letters on academic freedom, reading, the science of sociability, and more

On Harvard's Academic Agenda

How the administration might pursue Harvard’s core mission, pare bureaucracy, and promote Veritas

November-December 2024

November-December 2024

On the cover: Illustration by Gary Neill

America's Housing Problem—Explained

America’s housing problem—and what to do about it

by Jonathan Shaw

How Technology Shapes Elections, Privacy, and Democracy

Latanya Sweeney confronts our all-consuming “technocracy.”

by Lydialyle Gibson

RIGHT NOW Harvard research and ideas

How Does the Brain Interpret Language in Real-Time?

New research on how the brain uses sounds to form words and create meaning.

Do Ivy League Athletes Outperform in Careers?

How does undergraduate participation in varsity sports enhance career success?

Using Generative AI to Predict Viral Mutations and Develop Vaccines

Biomedical researchers are using AI to survey the viral landscape.

John Harvard's Journal University news

Campus Unrest and Antisemitism: Harvard's Actions During the 2023-2024 Academic Year

Exhortations to civil discourse, training in how to talk together—and plenty of new campus rules

Pamelyn Bennett’s Journey, From Marriott to Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School's "fairy godmother" on hospitality

Yesterday's News Harvard Magazine

From the pages of the Harvard Alumni Bulletin and Harvard Magazine

News in Brief

Provost appointed, College dean and University Secretary to step down, admissions after affirmative action, and more

Montage Books, creative arts, performance, and more

Ecological Edges: Darren Sears’s Watercolor Landscapes

The surreal, artistic cartography of Darren Sears

Edwin Frank Explores the 20th-Century Novel in 'Stranger Than Fiction'

A book about books—and the protagonist is the twentieth-century novel itself.

Liv Redpath on “What You Can Say” Through Opera

Liv Redpath’s operatic trajectory

Recent Books with Harvard Connections: November-December 2024

Books about the art and science of eating, on being Zen, helping youngsters grow up, and more

Harvard SquaredWhat to do in Boston, Cambridge, and beyond

Urban Enchantment

Spend a holiday overnight in the city, with teas, trees, and festive toasts.

University People Harvardians far and wide

Lee Junseok Wants to Remake Korean Politics

South Korea’s Lee Junseok tries to break old binaries.

Harvard Alumni Association Honorands

Six alumni have been recognized for their outstanding service to the University.

Harvard’s Gilbert and Sullivan Players, Then and Now

Students adapt the operettas to changing times.

Villa I Tatti: How Donors Influence Harvard's Art, Culture, and Academic Experiences

How gifts shape student experiences, in often unseen ways

Amanda Claybaugh in academic robes and cap speaking at a podium

New Traditions

Connecting contemporary “intellectual virtues” to Harvard’s traditions  

For Alumni

The Classes

Harvard alumni may sign in to view class notes and obituaries.