Faculty & Community

Insights into groundbreaking faculty research, innovative projects, and academic thought leadership across Harvard’s schools and institutes.

Alan Garber speaking at a podium in Memorial Church, with wooden panels in the background.

In Sermon, Garber Urges Harvard Community to ‘Defend and Protect’ Institutions

Harvard’s president uses traditional Memorial Church address to encourage divergent views.

by Jonathan Shaw

Kermit "Kim" Roosevelt in 1950

Brief life of Harvard CIA agent who helped install the shah of Iran

Brief life of a Harvard conspirator: 1916-2000

by Gwen Kinkead

A skull session with human evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman in the fossil room at the Peabody Museum. Millions of years of natural selection have shaped the human head. From left to right: a Neanderthal; <i>Homo erectus; Homo habilis; Australopithecus africanus; Pan troglodytes</i> (common chimpanzee); <i>Homo sapiens</i> (human). “Gonzo,” a Neanderthal skeleton, stands in the back.

Daniel Lieberman tracks the evolution of the human head.

Daniel Lieberman tracks the evolution of the human head.

by Jonathan Shaw

Amos Doolittle cheekily depicted the passions over ratification in this 1787 engraving with watercolor, with “Federals” (business interests), left, and agrarian “Antifederals,” right, differing over currency and Connecticut’s debts: a mired wagon being pulled in opposite directions.

Jack Rakove reviews Pauline's Maier's "Ratification," on the U.S. Constitution

The great experiment in constitution-making

by Jack Rakove

A screen shot from the therapeutic video game RAGE Control (Regulate and Gain Emotional Control)

A video game for anger management and emotional control

At Children's Hospital Boston, a video game offers emotionally explosive youths methods of self-control.

by Erin O’Donnell

Hyman professor of chemistry Charles Lieber has created a transistor so small it can be used to penetrate cell membranes and probe their interiors, without disrupting function. The transistor (yellow) sits near the bend in a hairpin-shaped, lipid-coated silicon nanowire. Its scale is similar to that of intra-cellular structures such as organelles (pink and blue orbs) and actin filaments (pink strand).

Charles Lieber's nanoscale transistors can enter cells without harming them

Chemist Charles Lieber and his colleagues have developed a nanoscale transistor so small it can enter, probe, and communicate with cells without harming them.

by Jonathan Shaw

When poverty is defined as living on $1.25 or less a day, about 40 percent of both Ethiopians and Uzbekistanis are considered poor. But by multidimensional measures that capture living standards, almost 90 percent of Ethiopians live in poverty, while only a small percentage of Uzbekistanis do.

Amartya Sen proposes a measure of poverty that looks beyond income

A multidimensional poverty index, based on the ideas of Amartya Sen, reveals a different map of the world's poor.

Peter Marsden named dean for social sciences

The sociologist oversees a large Arts and Sciences division.

The Radcliffe Institute’s “Why Books?” conference

The Radcliffe Institute’s “Why Books?” conference touches on a timely theme.

by Spencer Lee Lenfield

Warren Brown: Stars escaping the Milky Way help map matter in our galaxy

Stars escaping the Milky Way help Warren Brown and other astronomers map the distribution of matter in our galaxy.

Charts of economist Raj Chetty's findings about kindergarten teachers' influence

View charts of economist Raj Chetty's findings about kindergarten teachers' influence.