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  • Campus & Community

    President Faust announces committee to enhance spaces on Harvard’s Cambridge campus

    Harvard University President Drew Faust today announced the formation of a University-wide steering committee to explore ways to enhance Harvard’s Cambridge campus to ensure that the physical environment better supports the intellectual and social vitality of the University.

  • Campus & Community

    Partners HealthCare to assume management of Harvard Medical International

    Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Harvard University today announced that they have finalized an agreement with Partners HealthCare under which Partners will assume responsibility for business operations and management of Harvard Medical International. The new entity will be known as Partners Harvard Medical International (PHMI).

  • Campus & Community

    Barbara Grosz named dean of Radcliffe Institute

    Barbara J. Grosz, Higgins Professor of Natural Sciences in Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has been appointed the dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, President Drew Faust announced today.

  • Health

    Molecular analysis confirms T. Rex’s evolutionary link to birds

    Putting more meat on the theory that dinosaurs’ closest living relatives are modern-day birds, molecular analysis of a shred of 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex protein — along with that of 21…

  • Science & Tech

    Policy can empower technological climate change solution

    The chair of the U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming struck an optimistic tone about the planet’s climate crisis last night, saying that an energy revolution…

  • Health

    Life expectancy stagnating, worsening, for large segment of U.S. population

    A new, long-term study of mortality trends in U.S. counties from 1960 to 2000 finds that an overall average life expectancy increase of 6.5 years for men and women is…

  • Nation & World

    South Africa: Edendale Hospital

    On a hill in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal province, near the hall where Nelson Mandela delivered his last speech before prison and the station where Mahatma Gandhi was tossed off a train to begin his life’s work, stands Edendale Hospital.

  • Arts & Culture

    The literary roots of human rights

    The aim was determining the truth and the technique was torture. Pain was administered in secret, under strict guidelines, often with a judge and doctor present. Once a suspect confessed, the confession would have to be repeated in court.

  • Campus & Community

    Journalist forum focuses on climate change, cities

    Harvard’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism, the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, a Cambridge, Mass.-based research foundation, recently brought together 45 print, radio, and television journalists from across the country to discuss the emerging connection between climate change and cities.

  • Nation & World

    Scholarly journal reveals precious gems; marks major milestone

    One of the oldest scholarly theological journals in the country, the HTR celebrated its 100th anniversary last Friday (April 11) at the Harvard Divinity School (HDS) with a day of talks by several HDS scholars.

  • Nation & World

    Surgeon describes horrors that ensue when rape is a ‘weapon of war’

    Denis Mukwege, a recent visitor to Harvard, is slow-spoken, weary, and grave. And well he might be. For nearly a decade, Mukwege has been doctor to thousands of women raped in the course of a long civil war in south central Africa — in effect, that continent’s World War II — which has so far…

  • Nation & World

    Sachs insists new technologies essential

    Jeffrey Sachs, the internationally renowned economist, returned to his alma mater Monday (April 14) to give his prescription for saving the world. Sustainable development, he said, is the “central challenge of our time.”

  • Campus & Community

    Krister Stendahl, 86, was HDS dean from 1968-1979

    Krister Stendahl, who played a crucial role in shaping the life and work of Harvard Divinity School (HDS), just as he was also a pioneer in the broader realm of ecumenical relations, died on April 15 at the age of 86.

  • Arts & Culture

    Cultural creativity in the Ethiopian diaspora

    A Radcliffe Fellow this year, Kaufman Shelemay was co-organizer of “Cultural Creativity in the Ethiopian American Diaspora,” a conference held at Harvard this week (April 13-14).

  • Arts & Culture

    Hamlisch offers vital audition advice

    The multigifted and much-admired musical composer Marvin Hamlisch taught a master class in the New College Theatre on “The Art of the Audition” recently (April 9) under the auspices of Learning From Performers.

  • Arts & Culture

    Lens on politics: Life in Serbia, Kosovo

    Impulse, activism, and perhaps a bit of naiveté. That’s what led Jeff Silva, a teaching assistant in the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, to make his way to war-torn Belgrade just days after the NATO bombing campaign ended in June of 1999.

  • Arts & Culture

    Bollywood under a lens

    Richard Delacy, preceptor in Sanskrit and Indian studies, flicks off the lights in his classroom and cues the video projector. A few students shift in their seats as the opening credits for “Khalnayak,” a renowned Bollywood film, roll across the screen.

  • Arts & Culture

    Iraqi film series offers rare glimpse into bleak world

    Beginning today through Saturday (April 17-19), the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS) will host selections from the first international Iraq Short Film Festival (originally held in Baghdad in 2005).

  • Arts & Culture

    South Africa’s ‘ace’

    There are a thousand new HIV infections a day in South Africa, Pieter-Dirk Uys told an audience at Zero Arrow Theatre this week (April 14), during a public conversation sponsored by the Humanities Center at Harvard.

  • Arts & Culture

    The perils of historical fiction

    Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, author of the celebrated “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” delivered the Tanner Lectures at Harvard last week (April 9-11).

  • Campus & Community

    This month in Harvard history

    April 14, 1944 — In honor of the 50th anniversary of the American movie industry, Warner Brothers presents the Harvard Film Service with a reprint of a 150-foot film of Mark Twain made in 1907 by Thomas Edison with a hand-cranked camera.

  • Campus & Community

    Police reports

    Following are some of the incidents reported to the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) for the week ending April 14. The official log is located at 1033 Massachusetts Ave., sixth floor, and is available online at http://www.hupd.harvard.edu/.

  • Campus & Community

    In brief

    Harvard Bridge Program, IOP recognize 23 new citizens; Cash Receipts Office set for May move; Children invited to ‘Sarcophagi Up-Close’ at Semitic Museum; Memorial Church auction tonight; Last call for artists; East Asian Legal Studies accepting submissions until May 2

  • Campus & Community

    Cambridge Health Alliance, HMS award honors Auerbach

    John M. Auerbach, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, received the Ruth M. Batson Social Justice Award April 15 at Harvard Medical School’s “Reflection in Action: Building Healthy Communities” celebration.

  • Campus & Community

    Longtime Harvard staff member Hoppe dead at 88

    Retired Harvard University staff member Ruth Hoppe died April 2 at Mount Auburn Hospital. She was 88. A 30-year employee at the Widener Library at Harvard University, Hoppe worked in the interlibrary loan department.

  • Campus & Community

    Knowles memorial service to be held May 30

    A memorial service for Jeremy R. Knowles will be held May 30 at 11 a.m. at the Memorial Church.

  • Campus & Community

    Social Science Research Council gives grant to Harvard centers

    The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) has awarded $52,289 to three Harvard centers: the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, and the Harvard Asia Center.

  • Campus & Community

    Hammonds opens faculty diversity forum

    Evelynn Hammonds, Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and of African and African American Studies and senior vice provost for Faculty Development and Diversity (FD&D) opened a three-day forum last Friday (April 11) at the Charles Hotel titled “Advancing and Empowering Scholars: Transforming the Landscape of the American Academy Through Faculty Diversity.”

  • Campus & Community

    Sports briefs

    GOLFERS PLACE SECOND AT ROAR-EE; SOFTBALL SWINGS WEEKEND SWEEP; BROWN POURS IT ON VS. WATER POLO

  • Campus & Community

    Racquet men blast Quakers, Tigers

    In the middle of last Friday’s (April 11) men’s tennis doubles match versus visiting Penn, the electronic scoreboard keeping track of court three stopped working. As the action went on undisrupted, the (temporarily nonfunctioning) scoreboard was hardly missed, or necessary.