Faculty & Research

Combining data, art, and nature, Bas Smets, an engineer and professor in practice of landscape architecture, builds urban spaces that are prepared for the climate of today—and tomorrow.

Michael B. McElroy, the Gilbert Butler Professor of Environmental Studies at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has been named the 2024 recipient of the William Bowie Medal, the highest honor conferred by the American Geophysical Union.

Gary Ruvkun PhD '82, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, is a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for the discovery of microRNA.

A Harvard Business School case study explores what social entrepreneurs can learn from the successes and failures of Flashfood, an app that seeks to reduce food waste by selling nearly expired groceries at discounted prices.

A Harvard-led project aims to help Springfield, Massachusetts—and, eventually, other older cities across the U.S—minimize the “urban heat island” effect. Urban heat islands are city areas with lots of concrete and asphalt that absorb high levels of solar radiation and have few trees to provide shade, resulting in temperatures that can be 10-12 degrees higher than areas with more vegetation.

A multi-institutional research initiative has been awarded $12 million over five years by the U.S. National Science Foundation for its “potential to revolutionize computing and make significant impacts in reducing the carbon footprint of the lifecycle of computers.”

A large study led by Harvard Chan School researchers found that people who closely followed the Planetary Health Diet—which emphasizes minimally processed whole grains and vegetables but allows for some meat and dairy—significantly lowered their risk of premature death while also reducing their carbon footprint.

Can sea level rise be slowed? A new Harvard project called Sea Level Investigation and Management (SLIM), made possible by a generous gift from Cornelius “Neil” Prior Jr. LLB ’62, aims to find out.

By studying ecosystems from the Arctic to the tropics, Arnold Arboretum faculty fellow Benton Taylor aims to find out if plants will absorb enough carbon in the future to offset human activity.

Inspired by how some animals use their skin to regulate body temperature, the lab of Harvard chemistry professor Joanna Aizenberg is developing ways to use a building’s exterior to control indoor climates.