From Bach to BreakthroughsA ground breaking gene-insertion technology developed by the musically-inclined Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD student Isaac Witte and colleagues may bring us closer to treating diseases like cystic fibrosis at their genetic root. Emily CrowellMon, 09/22/2025 - 09:51| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
The neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is not only caused by repeated head impact but also linked to DNA damage similar to that seen in Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study co-led by Harvard Griffin GSAS alumna Chanthia Ma and PhD student Guanlan Dong.| gsas.harvard.edu
The Good and the Bad of MeritocracyHarvard College Dean David Deming, PhD '10, and Harvard professors Randall Kennedy and Michael Sandel discuss the causes of the populist backlash against higher education—and how to respond to it. Paul MassariWed, 10/29/2025 - 07:14| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
US Stillbirths Higher than Previously ReportedStudy led by PhD student Haley Sullivan also finds that, while most stillbirths had at least one identified clinical risk factor, a substantial share had none, particularly those occurring at 40+ weeks of gestation. Paul MassariWed, 10/29/2025 - 07:28| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
A Leg Up on Better Running DataLauren Baker, PhD '25, lead author of a new study, thinks wearable sensor technology could enable runners to better understand the forces they generate with each stride, helping them stay healthier. Paul MassariFri, 10/24/2025 - 11:10| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
2025 Bok Awards for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching of UndergraduatesEmily CrowellThu, 10/16/2025 - 12:45| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Extinction Rates Have Slowed, Study ShowsA new study by Harvard Griffin GSAS student Kristen Saban and Professor John Wiens of the University of Arizona Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology reveals that extinctions in plants, arthropods, and land vertebrates peaked about 100 years ago and have declined since then. Paul MassariThu, 10/23/2025 - 16:32| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
You See Saturn’s Rings. She Sees Hidden Number Theory.To find equations that predict real-world systems such as planetary motion, Harvard Griffin GSAS alumna Laura DeMarco researches sequences of numbers that are generated recursively. Paul MassariTue, 10/21/2025 - 09:41| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Cuts Could Mean Nearly 9M Child TB Cases, 1.5m DeathsA new study co-authored by Harvard Chan School's Nicolas Menzies, PhD '14, projects that US funding cuts to global health aid will have a catastrophic effect on pediatric tuberculosis. Paul MassariTue, 10/21/2025 - 09:47| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
How Growth HappensHarvard Griffin GSAS alumnus Philippe Aghion was honored with a share of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics for developing a mathematical model that explains how “creative destruction” drives economic growth. But he notes that governments must balance progress with protection. Emily CrowellTue, 10/21/2025 - 09:33| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Was ‘Aeneid’ Critiquing or Glorifying Empire?New translation from Scott McGill and Susannah Wright, PhD 24, classics professors at Rice University, digs into the lasting impact of the epic poem that Virgil wanted burned. Paul MassariFri, 10/17/2025 - 09:10| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Creative Writing Tools for AcademicsThe author of your favorite page-turner knew exactly how to make you keep reading: they posed a question and raised the stakes for finding the answer. Present your research questions similarly. Christopher BrownThu, 10/16/2025 - 13:28| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Be Well: Listening, Learning, and FlourishingWhat the Healthy Minds Survey reveals about student well-being Emily CrowellThu, 10/09/2025 - 11:11| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Find Your Center: Rolling on the RiverEven as it hopes to beat rival teams from Yale and MIT at this year’s Head of the Charles Regatta, the larger goal of the Rowing Club at Harvard Griffin GSAS is to make rowing more inclusive and accessible, and to strengthen the University’s graduate student community. Emily CrowellTue, 10/14/2025 - 12:28| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Overcoming the "Everyday Horror" of Mexico’s Drug War By studying works of “quotidian horror,” PhD student Andrea Garza explores the ways that stories can enable us to look squarely at violence and take action instead of turning away or falling prey to paralysis. Emily CrowellMon, 09/08/2025 - 13:21| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Peace and Violence in the Game of ThronesLeadership transitions are inevitable; peaceful transitions are not. How can societies ensure that power changes hands without violence? Claudia RomanoWed, 10/08/2025 - 14:17| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
How Tariffs Are Impacting Retail PricesPrice increases, which were moderating before the US government began imposing tariffs, are now climbing. An analysis by Alberto Cavallo, PhD '10, shows how levies are reaching consumers. Paul MassariTue, 10/07/2025 - 09:50| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
The Modular Construction Revolution That Hasn’t Happened (Yet)Ivan Rupnik, PhD '15, an architectural and urban design researcher and professor at Northeastern University, wants to demolish our assumptions about modular home construction. Paul MassariMon, 10/06/2025 - 09:50| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Samajdar Named 2025 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize WinnerRhine Samajdar, PhD ’22, was recognized for early-career contributions to quantum information science and engineering, an area with the potential to transform technology and society. Emily CrowellFri, 10/03/2025 - 09:37| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Martin Named Stanford GSB PioneerStanford Graduate School of Business Professor Joanne Martin, PhD '77, was recognized by the school as one who "blazed trails and broke barriers on campus and beyond." Paul MassariFri, 10/03/2025 - 11:06| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Colloquy Podcast: In the Snare of the Devil—What Really Caused the Salem Witch Crisis? Cornell University historian Mary Beth Norton, PhD ’69, discusses how the conflict on New England’s frontier shaped the Salem witch trials, revealing a story of trauma, refugees, and accusations in 17th-century Massachusetts. Emily CrowellMon, 09/29/2025 - 14:31| The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Recently I have been thinking about one common rhetorical device, metaphor, and how it can either bring language to life with sizzling clarity or bury it in the mud of opacity.| gsas.harvard.edu
A Tradition of Academic Excellence| gsas.harvard.edu
For her visionary leadership and life-changing breakthroughs in the biopharmaceutical industry, and for inspiring and guiding so many Harvard students and fellows who seek to follow in her footsteps, GSAS proud to award Vicki Sato, PhD '72, the 2022 Centennial Medal.| gsas.harvard.edu
PhD student Brandon Campbell's breakthrough in chemistry could make the production of many pharmaceuticals less expensive through a new method of fluorination.| gsas.harvard.edu