Alumni & People

curation of alumni people, faculty and student profiles

Conan O’Brien in a dark suit and light shirt, smiling and posing with hands clasped.

Conan O’Brien Named Harvard’s 2026 Commencement Speaker

The comedian, host, and 1985 graduate will deliver remarks at the May 28 ceremony. 

by Schuyler Velasco

Illustration of a man pushing a wheelbarrow full of petitions up the steps to Congress.

Why Petitioning is Vital for Democracies

Petitioning campaigns are a vital complement to democratic voting.

by Jonathan Shaw

a hat made of jaguar pelt

Dr. Jeffries balloons across the Channel

Two explorers strip to stay aloft.

by Jacob Sweet

Illustration of a man looking through a pair of binoculars with three, not two, objective lenses

The Third Way

Ellen Langer rejects binary thinking, embracing instead a “third way.”

by Erin O’Donnell

Photograph of Vikram Patel visiting with family members of a farmer in Maharashtra, India, who committed suicide

Financial and mental health are linked

Around the globe, Vikram Patel finds, improvements in financial or mental health support both.

by Veronique Greenwood

Braxton Shelley sits at a keyboard

Musician and professor Braxton Shelley

A gospel scholar shapes music theory.

by Jacob Sweet

An open gate with the Harvard Logo over it

Harvard College Announces Class of 2025 Admissions Decisions

Harvard admits a record-low 3.4 percent of applicants 

by Jacob Sweet

A photograph of the entrance to Loeb House, where Harvard’s governing boards meet.

Harvard Overseer Balloting Begins

The annual election of Overseers and alumni association directors is under way.

by John S. Rosenberg

Close-up image of an "ice lantern" (a light set in an ice casing) in the snow on Radcliffe Quad

Repositioning Harvard House Life

Undergraduate Houses experiment and innovate in attempts to revive the effervescence that once characterized their student communities. 

by Swathi Kella

The homepage of the nonprofit Potential Energy Coalition, showing a blue circle superimposed on a black-and-white photograph of the ocean

Making Voters Care About Climate Change

A professor and a marketing professional try a new tack in climate-change communications.

by Jonathan Shaw

Several Harvard Computers and Radcliffe students pose for a photograph together, seated at desks and sitting on the floor

Bringing the Stars to Light

Alumni scientist-filmmakers bring the Harvard Computers’ story to the screen.

by Lydialyle Gibson