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SEAS Facts

What makes SEAS ... SEAS?
How is SEAS positioned for the future?
Is SEAS intended to compete with other top engineering programs?
Why pursue engineering at Harvard versus a more technical institution?
What are examples of some cool research?
What are some innovative courses/classroom experiences?
What are some examples of student innovation?
What are examples of industry partnerships?
Who are some notable SEAS alumni?

What makes SEAS ... SEAS?

We are small in scale, boundless in our thinking

  • The impact of a donation can be readily seen (and we appreciate gifts large and small)
  • We embrace creativity, entrepreneurship, ‘translation’
  • Relative to the size of our organization, we are making big strides in big topic areas: energy, environment, research computing, etc.

We are preeminent (and becoming more so)

  • Our faculty are world-class in terms of awards, citations, grants
  • We are increasingly visible (less and less ‘Harvard does engineering?’)
  • We have fantastic alumni and are looking for ways to highlight them every chance we get

We build bridges

  • Within the classroom (21st century education)
  • Across the campus (joint appointments, centers, etc.)
  • Around the world (e.g., Water Program, Open Access, China wind study, etc.)

We are invested in areas that are critical for the future

  • We are a 21st century engineering school (future of computation, information & communication; technologies for health and medicine; energy & environment; global service)
  • We are hiring to ensure critical mass in key areas (the aim is to make sure we can do the best teaching and research possible)
  • We are organized BY TEACHING

How is SEAS positioned for the future?

SEAS is financially well-positioned during these challenging times

We use our resources wisely

SEAS is vital to the mission of Harvard and is making a global impact

We are hooked into bigger themes at the university (service, sustainability, etc.)

SEAS has right foundation to realize its full potential

We are building upon strength (the work of Venky, etc.); we have a new, dynamic dean (Cherry Murray)

Having a strong community is essential to our success for the future

We are investing in community building (i.e. student groups, funding for community building, communications, etc.

Is SEAS intended to compete with other top engineering programs?

In response to this question, Dean Venky wrote: “While we might compete with places like MIT, Stanford, and Caltech for faculty and students (and already do so successfully), we do not intend to emulate or be ‘lite’ versions of these great engineering programs. We plan to take a more focused and strategic approach that builds on our strong interdisciplinary culture, on the College’s liberal arts tradition, and on Harvard’s deep strengths in various scientific disciplines and professional areas. We aim to build a different kind of engineering program: one that is rooted in the sciences, has no internal departments or boundaries, and is of a manageable scale.”

Why pursue engineering at Harvard versus a more technical institution?

  • It simply isn’t true that all “real” engineers go to technical institutes. That’s like saying all the “real” biology or history students only go to Harvard. Moreover, engineering is increasingly like a liberal art in the way the field interacts with other fields (and that assessment came from an engineer).
  • What distinguishes Harvard’s academic programs in engineering, is, in a word: Harvard. Unlike some programs in engineering and applied sciences, Harvard undergraduates who pursue the field are not enrolled in a separate school or college. Studying engineering is only one aspect of a student's experience.
  • Harvard offers an A.B. in engineering (one of the few institutions that does so) and an S.B., but only in engineering sciences (a broader conception of engineering).
  • SEAS enables close faculty interactions: There is a 5:1 faculty/student ratio at SEAS; in 2006-7 70% of SEAS faculty agreed to serve as freshman advisors.
  • Like all Harvard undergrads, engineering students are smart, determined, dedicated, diverse (approximately 35% of concentrators are female and 40% are minorities (including Asian) or foreign nationals) and enjoying broad interests. Hear it from them: “I am glad that I have friends with a wide variety of interests …”; “I knew I would concentrate in engineering … [but] I wanted to attend a college with an active music program.”
  • Interest by incoming undergraduates in pursuing engineering and applied sciences has consistently risen over the past three years.
  • Our undergraduate engineering students go on to top graduate programs like MIT, Caltech, Georgia Tech, etc. or end up working for Microsoft, Google, Goldman Sachs, etc. In fact, like liberal arts concentrators, our students end up pursuing careers in all areas, from medicine to law to business.

What are examples of some cool research?

Shape-shifting sheets automatically fold into multiple forms

Relying on origami techniques, researchers showed programmable matter folding itself into a boat- or plane-shape.

Heat, moisture from Himalayas could be a cause of the South Asian monsoon

Climate scientists offered a revised view of what influences the water source for billions of people.

Environmental scientists say China could meet future energy needs by wind alone

A study suggested that wind is ecologically and economically practical and could reduce CO2 emissions.

Team moves from stem cells to functioning strip of heart muscle

This engineering feat was a giant step toward the possibility of using human stem cells to repair damaged hearts.

Inspired by cotton candy, engineers put new spin on nanofibers

Offering increased control and higher output, the device could be a boon for industrial applications, from biocompatible materials to air filters.

Discovery in “pop” science reveals the elegant, complex way bubbles burst

Rather than simply vanishing, ruptured bubbles create rings of smaller bubbles in a cascade effect.

Research team receives $10 million NSF grant to fund the development of small-scale mobile robotic devices

Using nature as inspiration, scientists worked to advance micro-manufacturing, ultra-low-power computing, and multi-agent coordination.

What are some innovative courses/classroom experiences?

Biomedical Engineering Concentration Approved

At the March 2, 2010, meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), the faculty voted unanimously to approve a new, dedicated undergraduate concen­tration in Biomedical Engineering.

“Science and Cooking” Dishes Up Collaboration

A collaboration with the Alícia Foundation, headed by internationally acclaimed chef Ferran Adrià of elBulli, led to the creation of a new General Educa­tion undergraduate course on science and cooking. The course draws on the expertise of some of the world’s most notable chefs.

Alumnus Energizes Engineering Design

Barry Griffin ’72, owner of Griffin Associates, a successful mechanical engineering consulting firm, is helping to revitalize the capstone engineering design courses with faculty members Robert Howe and Woody Yang. For example, students in ES 96, “Engineering Design,” examined complex issues related to the renovation of the Harvard River Houses. Griffin will spend the next year integrating “real world” problems into the course through collaborations with industry.

Teaching Labs Foster Hands-On Learning

Anas Chalah, Director of Institutional Technology, seeks out everything from trashcans to cutting-edge laser devices to build creative, hands-on experiments for undergraduates in SEAS. Over the past four years, the undergraduate teach­ing program has expanded its basic instructional labs with modern hands-on teaching labs represent­ing the following five disciplines: Mechanical, Electrical, Biological, and Environmental Engineer­ing, and Computer Science.

Winter Term

The highlight of the winter term at SEAS was a Brazil field study. Twelve Harvard students and 16 Brazilian students participated in field studies of the energy system in Brazil from January 7 to 21, 2010. On campus, faculty and staff offered short courses in subjects such as CAD/CAM, communicating science, electron microscopy, and Matlab.

Graduates Get Community

Science Soirées, G1 talks, and enhanced orientation all greeted incoming and current graduate students. The end goal is to enhance the community for the SEAS graduate population.

What are some examples of student innovation?

The Lab at Harvard

Launched in November of 2009, The Lab at Harvard is a new forum and platform for idea experimentation in the arts and sciences, directed by David A. Edwards, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice in Biomedical Engineering (SEAS) and a core member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. The Lab catalyzes the development of ideas through work-in-progress exhibits, monthly Idea Nights, and annual experiments between leading international artists and Harvard faculty and students.

The TECH I3 Innovation Challenge

Winners of the Harvard College Innovation Challenge (I3), organized by the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard (TECH), Harvard Student Agencies, and the Harvard College Entrepreneurship Forum, were announced in April.
Harvard students, representing 27 different concen­trations and all 12 Harvard houses, participated in the annual competition that showcases and rewards innovative student ventures (both commercial and social startups).

sOccket

The sOccket is a soccer ball that captures energy during game play to charge batteries for LEDs. The ball uses an inductive coil mechanism to generate electricity. Created by a team of Harvard under­graduate students (all non-engineers) in a novel Engineering Sciences course on idea translation, the sOccket was featured on CNN.

VertiGrow

Another project encouraged by the idea translation course, VertiGrow addresses two global problems: rapid urbanization and malnutrition. The vertical farming device allows families to grow their own nutritious food on the sides of their homes, walls, or roofs, and is designed to conserve water, reinforce unstable housing structures, and maximize growing space.

Rover

Five Harvard undergraduates created Rover, a mobile platform for connecting students with each other, their school, and their community. Begun as a class project in CS 50, Rover puts students in touch with what is happening in the campus “microenvironment” with information on local deals, events, news, and transportation. Rover was the winner in the AT&T Big Mobile On Campus Challenge and made the front page of The Wall Street Journal.

What are examples of industry partnerships?

Industry Partnerships Workshop on Nanophotonics

Held in May, the annual meeting brought together research leaders with members of industry to collaborate on the rich field of nanophotonics. Possible applications range from next-generation chip technology to novel solar panels, enhanced chemical sensing, and greener and cleaner forms of energy.

GnuBio

GnuBio is a new Harvard spinout that is poised to become an “eBay of Biomarkers.” John Boyce, formerly of Helicos Biosciences Corp., joined with SEAS’ Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Dave Weitz and Jessica Tonani, former associate director of product marketing for Affymetrix Inc., to create a company that combines genome sequencing, database management, and a social network platform.

NVIDIA

NVIDIA Corporation, inventor of the GPU (Graph­ics Processing Unit), recognized Harvard University as a Center of Excellence for its commitment to teaching GPU Computing for a host of science and engineering research projects. The honor complements a prior $2 million grant the University received from the NSF for the development of GPU-enabled computational science.

Who are some notable SEAS alumni?

From bakers to animation makers to 21st century shoe salesmen, SEAS alumni continually redefine what it means to be an engineer.

  • John Armstrong, Former Chief Scientist of IBM and member National Science Board
  • Steve Ballmer AB '77, Co-Founder and current CEO of Microsoft Corporation.
  • Leo Beranek Ph.D. (SD '40), HBS AMP '65, former president BBN Technologies, National Medal of Science winner.
  • Hynd Bouhia Ph.D. '98, Director, Casablanca Stock Exchange.
  • Fred Brooks Ph.D. '56, Kenan Prof. Of CS, U of North Carolina, software engineer and computer scientist, best-known for managing the development of OS/360, then later writing candidly about the process in his seminal book The Mythical Man-Month. "It is a very humbling experience to make a multi-million-dollar mistake, but it is also very memorable." Brooks received a Turing Award in 1999 and many other awards.
  • Joanne Chang AB '91, Owner of Flour Bakery,
  • George David AB '64, Former Chairman and CEO of United Technologies,
  • Shaun Donovan AB '87, Masters in Architecture and Public Administration ’95, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,
  • Danielle Feinberg AB '96, Technical Director, Pixar Animation Studios,
  • Victor Fung Ph.D. '71, Chairman, Li and Fung Ltd.
  • Bill Gates LLD '07, Co-Founder and Chairman of Microsoft Corporation.
  • Paul Graham AB '85, programmer, venture capitalist, and essayist. He is known for his work on Lisp and for co-founding Viaweb, which eventually became the Yahoo! Store web system. He is the author of On Lisp (1993), ANSI Common Lisp (1995), and Hackers & Painters (2004).
  • Trip Hawkins AB '76, Founder of Electronic Arts, The 3DO Company, and Digital Chocolate. (Trip designed his own major at Harvard in Strategy and Applied Game Theory.)
  • Tony Hsieh AB '95, current CEO of online shoe seller Zappos.com. Prior to joining Zappos, Hsieh co-founded and sold the internet advertising network LinkExchange to Microsoft.
  • George Joseph, Chairman, Mercury General
  • M.S Lin
  • Joe Marks Ph.D. '91, VP of R&D Disney Animation Studios.
  • Bob Metcalfe Ph.D. '73, MIT/Harvard, Polaris Partners, National Medal of Technology, co-invention of Ethernet.
  • Ali Partovi AB '94, CEO of iLike.
  • Hadi Partovi AB '94, Senior Vice President, MySpace.
  • Choon Fong Shih Ph.D. '73, President of KAUST, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.
  • Allen E Puckett, one of the leading figures in fluid mechanics/wind tunnels; former Chairman of Hughes Aircraft Corp; National Medal of Science winner
  • Craig Silverstein AB '94, Director of Technology,Google.
  • Guy Steele AB '75, Distinguished Engineer, Sun Microsystems, Grace Murray Hopper Award.
  • Alan Taub Ph.D. ’79, Executive Director, GM Research and Development.
  • Stephanie Wilson SB '88, NASA Astronaut.
  • Daniel Yates AB '99, CEO of Positive Energy, a leading developer of energy efficiency information products.