Subscribe to the 
New visualization techniques yield star formation insights
New computer visualization technology developed by the Harvard Initiative in Innovative Computing has helped astrophysicists understand that gravity plays ...
John P. Holdren named President-elect Obama’s Science Advisor
President-elect Barack Obama today announced that he has selected Harvard’s John P. Holdren to serve as Assistant to the President for Science and ...
Stem cell researcher honored by President George W. Bush
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) scientist Kevin Eggan today was cited by President George W. Bush for his work in advancing the field of stem cell ...
Religion in the vernacular
In 1215, Pope Innocent III convened the Fourth Council of the Lateran, a religious convocation that laid out to hundreds of bishops, abbots, priors, and Christian patriarchs 70 new decrees. One enjoined the clergy to stop frequenting taverns, engaging in trials by combat, hunting, and practicing what might be called noncelibate habits.
Scholar asks: ‘How can we know the spectator from the dance?’
When Yvonne Rainer and her fellow dancers took to the stage in the early 1960s, their performances were like nothing American audiences had ever seen. First, there were no costumes. Performers wore T-shirts, casual pants, and sneakers. In place of elaborate leaps and twirls, the dancers engaged in everyday movements like running, climbing, and even falling. And there was little to no emotional drama. The focus was on the body: unadorned, physical, and pure. Rainer — choreographer, dancer, and visionary — had sparked a revolution.
Fair shows progress of humanities in digital world
Bill and Carrie meet in a Harvard College library you might know. The walls are reddish stone and in one corner a working fireplace blazes brightly.
Police reports
Following are some of the incidents reported to the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) for the week ending Dec. 15. The official log is located at 1033 Massachusetts Ave., sixth floor, and is available online at http://www.hupd.harvard.edu.
Newsmakers
Rockefeller Fellows chosen; Hedley-Whyte wins AAMI award; Goldman invited to speak to Homeland Security Council; Steinkeller receives Humboldt award; Counter at Nobel Prize ceremony
President’s office hours
President Drew Faust will hold office hours for students in her Massachusetts Hall office on the following dates:
George Whitelaw Mackey
At a Meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on November 18, 2008, the Minute honoring the life and service of the late George Whitelaw Mackey, Landon T. Clay Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Science, Emeritus, was placed upon the records. Mackey’s publications profoundly influenced the next generation of mathematicians and mathematical physicists.
New ID card distribution through February
Continuing through the early winter of 2009, Harvard is distributing new, high-technology ID cards to the University community. The Harvard ID card is used in more than 400 systems across campus, and the new card will make those systems more secure by segregating key information and encrypting it in card-based technologies that are unique to Harvard.
CCSR annual report now available
The 2008 annual report of the Corporation Committee on Shareholder Responsibility (CCSR), a subcommittee of the President and Fellows, is now available upon request from the Office for the Committees on shareholder responsibility. To obtain a copy, e-mail Cheryl Thurman at cheryl_thurman@harvard.edu or call the office at (617) 495-0985.
Faculty of Arts and Sciences Standing Committees 2008-09
Upon the recommendation of the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), Harvard President Drew Faust has approved and announced the following Standing Committees. Standing Committees of the faculty are constituted to perform a continuing function. Each committee has been established by a vote of the faculty, and can be dissolved only by a vote of the faculty or, with the agreement of a particular Committee, by the dean and Faculty Council. The dean recommends the membership of each committee annually.
College’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter welcomes 48 new members
Forty-eight seniors were recently elected to the Harvard College chapter of Phi Beta Kappa (PBK), Alpha Iota of Massachusetts.
Harvard Magazine site revamped
The Web site for Harvard Magazine, Harvard’s alumni publication, has also been revamped to better reflect its glossy and colorful magazine format. The site now features entire issues online, flashing dynamic graphics, and audio and video clips that enhance articles. Alumni who browse the Web site are greeted with the latest-breaking news at Harvard, including updates on the University’s finances.
‘Bicycle Environments’ takes HSPH and GSD students for a ride
At a time when the United States scrambles to resolve the country’s obesity epidemic, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, and lessen dependency on foreign fossil fuels, this semester the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Graduate School of Design (GSD) have launched an interdisciplinary course that tackles all three problems (and more). Titled “Bicycle Environments in the U.S. and the Netherlands/Denmark: Case Studies in the Promotion of Physical Activity,” the class uses case studies to examine how the bicycle communities in the Netherlands and Denmark help individuals stay healthy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One clear objective is to find strategic ways to make the United States more bicycle friendly in an attempt to address these central social issues.
Wrestling’s Jantzen to take over the No. 1 spot
There’s a new No. 1 for the 141-pound weight class. Previously unranked, Crimson wrestler Corey Jantzen ’11 took over the nation’s top spot on Dec. 11.
Women’s hoops recover on homestand
After a tough loss to Providence by 12 points and another to Boston University by 19, there was one thing the defending Ivy League co-champion Crimson needed: a home game. Nothing proved that more than the way the 4-4 Harvard women’s basketball team bounced back from consecutive losses with consecutive wins to advance to 6-4. As the Crimson edged the Vermont Catamounts 69-67 and trounced the Maine Black Bears 73-50 — pardon the cliché — the team proved that there’s no place like home.
Q&A with Heather Henriksen
Gazette reporter Corydon Ireland recently had a conversation with Heather A. Henriksen, the director of Harvard’s new Office for Sustainability. Some highlights:
Marine squad in Iraq wears crimson, thanks to HKS, Coop
A contact drawn by a Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) faculty member’s research has led to the filling of an unmet need for U.S. Marines in Iraq: Harvard-insignia gear.
Student-run haven gives shelter — and a boost — to homeless
The song tells us that there is “no place like home for the holidays,” and soon, many on the Harvard campus will be destined for far-flung places, both dear and familiar. The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter (HSHS) helps those who are not fortunate enough to have a home at all.
Toys, clothes, and a visit from Santa
Santa came to Harvard a little early last week (Dec. 13). He sat comfortably in a chair on the second floor of Phillips Brooks House, clad in his familiar bright red outfit with white trim, plus the less familiar, yet practical, Merrell hiking shoes. He was taking a brief break between meeting groups of eager children anxious for an early Christmas present.
Antacid use during pregnancy may increase childhood asthma
Children of mothers who took acid-suppressive drugs during pregnancy had a 1.5 times higher incidence of asthma when compared with children who were not exposed to the drugs in utero, finds a large population-based study by researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston. The findings, accompanied by an editorial, appear online this week in “Early View” in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy. (They will be formally published online on Jan. 19 and will appear in the journal’s February print edition.)
New obesity-related genes identified
A large international consortium has made significant inroads into uncovering the genetic basis of obesity, adding six new genetic variants to the two already linked to higher body mass index (BMI) in previous studies. Most of the newly discovered genes had never before been suspected of having a role in body weight and, curiously, many of the genes are active in the central nervous system, suggesting they may exert their effects via the brain. The study, from the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium, appeared online in Nature Genetics on Dec. 14.
Pain is more intense when inflicted on purpose
Researchers at Harvard University have discovered that our experience of pain depends in part on whether we think someone caused the pain intentionally. Participants in a study who believed they were getting an electrical shock from another person on purpose, rather than accidentally, rated the shock as more painful than those receiving the same shock thinking it was an accident. Participants seemed to get used to shocks that were delivered unintentionally, but those given on purpose had a fresh sting every time.
Robotic radical hysterectomy has advantages
New technologies now allow surgery to be performed with less impact on patient quality of life. As the trend toward minimally invasive surgery grows, robotic-assisted surgery has become an appealing tool for gynecologic oncology surgeons. However, to date, there is little data to confirm the benefits of this technology. New research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) compares robotic radical hysterectomy (RRH) using the DaVinci robot to classically performed open radical hysterectomies (ORH) in patients with stage I and II cervical cancer. Researchers found that RRH results in lower blood loss and shorter length of stay compared with ORH. The findings are available online and published in the December print issue of Gynecologic Oncology.
Idle computing power may ID candidate molecules for efficient solar panels
The world today uses enough power to illuminate 150 billion light bulbs for a year. According to some estimates, by 2050, demand will double, creating irreversible climate change without reductions in humanity’s carbon output.
Algebra, topology expert Lurie named professor of mathematics
Mathematician Jacob Lurie, whose expertise ranges across algebraic geometry, topology, and algebra, has been named professor of mathematics in Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2009.
Modeling the forest … and the trees
When building computer models of the ecosystems that cover the earth’s surface, it is tempting to incorporate sweeping generalizations in your calculations.
Researchers study glaciers on Earth’s coldest desert
It’s December, and undergraduate Jenny Middleton bundles up to face the cold. While all across campus, students, and faculty don their winter gear, Middleton is not preparing for the New England winter; she is preparing for an expedition through the Earth’s coldest desert: the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica.
Climate options must include ‘all of the above’
Climate change has so much momentum behind it that “either/or” discussions about options are meaningless because it’ll take all we can do just to arrest carbon dioxide at levels double those in preindustrial times, a top climate scientist said Dec. 11.
Government of India gives $4.5M to support grad students
The government of India has given Harvard University $4.5 million to support fellowships for graduate students from India. The gift recognizes the accomplishments of Harvard Professor of Economics and Philosophy and Thomas W. Lamont University Professor Amartya Sen and his work for social and economic justice across the globe. It also recognizes the work of Harvard’s South Asia Initiative toward establishing Harvard as a locus for the study of South Asia.
HGSE group brings civics back into curriculum
As schools around the country work to meet academic requirements in reading and math set by the No Child Left Behind Act, some educators worry the trend ignores a critical part of a child’s learning: civic and moral education.
Du Bois Institute awards four with medals of honor
The W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, Harvard’s highest honor in African American Studies, was presented on Friday (Dec. 12) to Ingrid Saunders Jones, Richard L. Plepler, Tamara Robinson, and Tavis Smiley, at a ceremony at the Harvard Kennedy School to honor their outstanding “contributions to culture, art, and the life of the mind.”
Semester’s series ends with daylong panels
Sixty years ago this month, the United Nations released to a war-shocked world the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a catalog of norms understood to apply to all human beings.
Lawrence Lessig receives two Harvard appointments
Renowned legal scholar Lawrence Lessig has been appointed to the faculty of Harvard Law School, and as the faculty director of Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics.
War Stories: Inside Campaign 2008 at the Institute of Politics
No one will ever confuse the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Harvard Kennedy School with Gillette Stadium. But the forum was host Thursday evening (Dec. 11) to two of the undisputed rock stars of American political campaigns: David Axelrod and David Plouffe, chief strategist and manager, respectively, for Barack Obama’s successful campaign for the presidency.
New label-free method tracks molecules and drugs in live cells
A new type of highly sensitive microscopy developed by Harvard researchers could greatly expand the limits of modern biomedical imaging, allowing ...
Supply of board-certified emergency physicians unlikely to meet projected needs
The number of physicians with board certification in emergency medicine is unlikely to meet the staffing needs of U.S. emergency departments in the ...
Seidel honored with Crystal Quill Award
Steve Seidel, the Patricia Bauman Arts in Education professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), received the Crystal Quill Award from the Shakespeare Festival/LA Nov. 20 in Los Angeles. The Shakespeare Festival/LA is an arts organization that uses professional theater traditions to “enchant, enrich, and build community.”
Author McGowan is honored as ‘2008 Harvard Humanist of the Year’
Can parents raise moral children without religion? Greg Epstein M.T.S. ’07 thinks so. He’s the Humanist chaplain at Harvard, and has just finished writing a book due out next fall. Its title: “Good Without God.”
Police reports
Following are some of the incidents reported to the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) for the week ending Dec. 8. The official log is located at 1033 Massachusetts Ave., sixth floor, and is available online at http://www.hupd.harvard.edu/.
In brief
Requests for HSPH Distinguished Alum Award nominations; Holiday gifts for those in need
Newsmakers
Alfred Goldberg, cell biology professor at Harvard Medical School (HMS), recently received a $15,000 cash prize as the recipient of the 11th annual Jacob Heskel Gabbay Award for Biotechnology and Medicine from Brandeis University.
Darman memorial service, dedication on Dec. 16
There will be a memorial service honoring Richard Darman ’64, M.B.A.’67 from 11 a.m. to noon on Dec. 16 at the Memorial Church. Darman, who died Jan. 25, was a member of the faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) where he received the Carballo Award for Excellence in Teaching and Distinguished Public Service, having served as lecturer in Public Policy and Management (1977-80) and as Public Service Professor (1998-2002). A John Harvard Fellow, Darman served also as a member of the Governing Boards’ Committee on University Resources (1992-2008), the Harvard Fund Council, the Belfer Center’s Board of Directors (1998-2008), and the Overseers’ Committees to visit the Kennedy School (1989-98 and 2003-2008) and the Medical School (1993-98).
HUHS continues to offer flu vaccination clinics
Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) is conducting free vaccination clinics.
Zeph Stewart
At a Meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on November 18, 2008, the Minute honoring the life and service of the late Zeph Stewart, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities, Emeritus, was placed upon the records. Stewart was an effective and beloved teacher.
Harvard welcomes 2008-09 Fulbright Scholars
Twenty-nine foreign scholars and professionals have been named Fulbright Scholar Program grant recipients for the 2008-09 academic year. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, participating governments, and host institutions in the United States and abroad, these grants allow scholars from across the globe to lecture or conduct research at the University.
