September-October 2007 > John Harvard's Journal

University People

Enduring Deans, Acting Executives

Alan A. Altshuler, Harvard Graduate School of Design dean since early 2005, has agreed to continue to serve during the fall semester at the request of President Drew Faust; he had intended to step down at the end of the academic year, in June. [On August 10, Mohsen Mostafavi was named dean of Harvard Graduate School of Design.] Robert Cashion, director of development for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), began serving as acting vice president for alumni affairs and development on July 2, succeeding Donella Rapier, whose departure was announced during the winter (see “Fast Start,” May-June, page 54). Faust is conducting searches for both positions. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences dean Theda Skocpol, who had planned to depart in June, has also agreed to serve until her successor is named.

Prime Mathematicians

The Shaw Prize Foundation, Hong Kong, has awarded its $1-million Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences for 2007 to Robert P. Langlands, of the Institute for Advanced Study, and Smith professor of mathematics Richard L. Taylor. The two were cited for jointly “initiating and developing a grand unifying vision of mathematics that connects prime numbers with symmetry.”

Radcliffe Fellows

Five Harvard faculty members will be Radcliffe Institute fellows this year: Cabot professor of social ethics and Pforzheimer professor at the Radcliffe Institute Mahzarin R. Banaji; associate professor of biostatistics Tianxi Cai; professor of government Daniel Carpenter; Folger Fund professor of history Andrew D. Gordon; and Watts professor of music and professor of African and African American studies Kay K. Shelemay. For the complete list of the 51 fellows, see www.radcliffe.edu.

Currier Chiefs

Long-time resident tutors Laura Khoshbin and Shah Khoshbin will serve as interim masters of Currier House during the academic year, while a search for permanent appointees continues. They succeed Shad professor of business ethics Joseph L. Badaracco Jr. and Patricia O’Brien, former deputy dean of the College, who relinquished their Currier posts in June.

Departing Professorial Pair

Freed professor of economics Caroline (Minter) Hoxby (a leading researcher on educational policy, also honored for teaching excellence as a Harvard College Professor) and her husband, Blair G. Hoxby, associate professor of history and literature (both members of the College class of 1988, and then Rhodes Scholars together), have accepted tenure offers from Stanford. Their move highlighted problems facing academic couples (Blair Hoxby taught for years at Yale; the couple had two homes and long commutes) and also represented a high-profile loss for the economics department, where Caroline Hoxby was one of only three tenured women.