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

Image shows a dendritic cell (shown in yellow) attached to a man-made polymer lattice inside a pill-sized implantable device.

Inducing immunity to cancer

An implantable cancer vaccine shows promise in training the immune system to attack tumors.

by Erin O’Donnell

Cracks appear in a balloon decorated like a $100 bill as Uncle Sam fills it with a bicycle pump

Asset bubbles and credit growth precede financial crises.

Contrary to expert belief, some financial crises can be predicted—and perhaps averted.

by Jonathan Shaw

A patient undergoes acupuncture of the belly

Fine-tuning acupuncture to heal, not harm

“Fine-tuning” acupuncture, an ancient practice to heal, not harm

A photograph of art historian Cassandra Albinson next to a photograph of a portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour applying pink rouge to her cheeks

Harvard Portrait: Cassandra Albinson

A curator takes a fresh look at portraits of aristocratic European women.

by Jonathan Shaw

A Zoom screen shot of multiple Harvard student members of the College radio station, WHRB

Harvard extracurriculars cope despite COVID-19

Extracurriculars cope despite COVID-19.

by Meena Venkataramanan

Portrait of Rachel Gable, author of new book on first-generation students at elite colleges

Timely guidance for colleges enrolling first-generation and low-income students

Rachel Gable’s research on helping first-generation and low-income students succeed at elite colleges

by John S. Rosenberg

Painting of three pairs of worn, heavy shoes by Vincent van Gogh

The Undergraduate writes about building a more inclusive community at Harvard

Redrawing community at Harvard

by Che Applewhaite

Harvard volleyball player Sandra Zeng setting a ball during a game

Laying Out

Volleyball captain Sandra Zeng’s defensive focus

by Jacob Sweet

Drawing of a distant solitary figure walking alone toward the horizon along a narrowing path of light edged on both sides by darkness

The Loneliness Pandemic

As the country isolates, are we all alone?

by Jacob Sweet

Philanthropist Edwin Binney with Helen Willard, curator of the Harvard Theatre Collection

Edwin Binney, 3rd

Brief life of a philanthropic art collector: 1925-1986

by Madison U. Sowell