SEAS today
We serve as the connector and integrator of Harvard’s teaching and research efforts in engineering, applied sciences, and technology.
Our core tenets—educating broad-minded students; interdisciplinary research; integration across disciplines; and balancing theory, experimentation, and practice—create an unmatched environment for learning and exploration.
Through collaboration with researchers from all parts of Harvard, other universities, and industry, we bring discovery and innovation directly to bear on improving human life and society.
We offer undergraduate concentrations in Applied Mathematics (A.B.), Computer Science (A.B.), and Engineering Sciences (A.B. and an ABET-Accredited S.B. degree). Graduate programs (S.M., M.E., and Ph.D.)
Graduate students may work towards a Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Engineering (M.E.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in one of four subjects—Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, Computer Science, and Engineering Sciences—or graduate with a Ph.D. in the Information, Technology and Management program (with Harvard Business School).
Areas of particular research focus at SEAS include Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, Bioengineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
Faculty number approximately seventy (73 FTEs) who account for some $37.3M in annual research funds (FY 2007). These faculty members have particularly close ties (and there are multiple joint appointments) with the departments of Physics, Earth and Planetary Science, and Chemistry and Chemical Biology. The world-class facilities provide 400,000 square feet of interconnected labs, classrooms, clusters, and offices in six buildings.
Renewal and Growth
Over the past decade, we have experienced spectacular renewal and continued growth in engineering and applied sciences.Faculty
The number of faculty (full-time equivalents) in engineering and applied sciences has grown tremendously over the past 10 years, from 40 in 1995 to 73 in 2006, even as many longstanding faculty members retired (that “translates” to 40+ new faculty members).During this time, we have renewed our strengths in applied math and applied physics, enhanced the environmental sciences and engineering program, and significantly built up computer science, electrical engineering, and bioengineering. We have also significantly increased faculty diversity in terms of both racial and ethnic background as well as country of origin.
The true hallmark of our success has been our ability to extend our reach well beyond our own walls. Today nearly 87 faculty members, in areas ranging from physics to mathematics to biology, actively collaborate through joint appointments, graduate student advising and teaching, and shared grants and labs.
Education
Over the past decade, undergraduate enrollments in our three concentrations—Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, and Engineering Sciences—have ranged from 300 to 400. Our small class size (with a 5–6:1 student/faculty ratio) and boundless research opportunities (Harvard undergraduates received over $1M for research in 2005) enable students to work with faculty as partners: publishing as co-authors, starting new companies, and patenting technologies.We have also exposed students in other parts of Harvard through offering broader-based interdisciplinary courses. While our engineering sciences program has been ABET-accredited for 20 years, the advising committee in 2003 (the most recent) particularly praised our interdisciplinary, flexible approach to education.
The graduate student population grew from 175 to 289 during 1995–2006. Most impressive, the number of applications to our programs has nearly tripled over a shorter period, from 454 in 1997–1998 to 1364 in 2005–2006. Among all national graduate engineering programs, we have become one of the most selective, admitting about 13 percent of applicants.
Our doctoral and masters degree programs lie at the interfaces of engineering, the applied sciences from biology to physics, and technology, attracting students who desire to push beyond traditional boundaries. In addition, we are linked with the Medical School to create a Systems Biology graduate program in 2003–2004 and has enjoyed great success with the Information, Technology, and Management Ph.D. track, formed in coordination with the Business School in 1999 to blend tech and business savvy.
Research
Sponsored research has increased more than 60 percent from 1995 ($20.6M) to 2006 ($37.3). Grants have ranged from government awards for new initiatives such as the Center for the National Institute for Global Environmental Change in 1995 ($1.5M) to private gifts from the Gates Foundation in 2005 ($7.6M) to support research on needle-free vaccination.Industry and Entrepreneurship
We play an increasingly large role in sustaining Harvard's economic and research engine by: partnering with industry and government agencies; providing resources for faculty and students interested in entrepreneurship and innovation; and offering opportunities for recruitment. Our industrial partnership programs focus on fostering collaborative relationships in areas related to small-scale science, materials science, bioengineering, and electrical engineering and computer science through workshops and other related activities.
The Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard (TECH) is a resource open to Harvard students and faculty who are interested in exploring how value to society is created from ideas, research, and inventions. We welcome collaborations with industry and government to promote our mission to advance the understanding and practice of translating science and technology into societal benefit.
Outreach
We are also in a position to inform the public about the implications of technology and to inspire the next generation of college students through family friendly lectures such as It's Elementary My Dear Einstein and evens like Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. In addition, our Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program is designed both to build bridges between our research efforts and K-12 education and to involve educators in the Harvard Community.Development and Infrastructure
In the early 1900s Gordon McKay, U.S. inventor, engineer, entrepreneur, and footwear magnate, gave a then unprecedented sum of money to support applied science at Harvard. Today, McKay’s legacy has grown to support 42 professorships. Pledges, outright gifts, and matches to SEAS from alumni, friends, and support from corporation and foundations, have totaled nearly $94M over the past decade.Of particular note was the completion of the $45M SEAS Challenge Fund this summer. Sponsored by an anonymous donor who gave $15M in matching funds, the fund will establish 10 new professorships and 10 innovation funds. In large part due to the support of our alumni and friends, engineering and applied sciences at Harvard has become a larger and more integral part of the University. Today our campus comprises almost 400,000 square feet of classrooms, teaching and research labs and research centers, and administrative space—approximately double the amount of a decade ago.
Planning and Strategy
Our goals
We intend to focus on three core areas – research, education, practice/innovation – by leveraging our existing strengths:- traditional strengths in foundational science and emerging strengths in engineering;
- “boundaryless”, non-hierarchical, and collaborative culture; and
- increasing ties to Harvard’s professional schools.
Our strategy
Over the next decade, our plans are to, strengthen faculty and research efforts, increase educational opportunities, and enhance impact. Ultimately, we want our passion for discovery and innovation to attract the curious, inspire a future generation of leaders, help improve society, and form the basis of a dynamic community where innovation, integrative science, and unbounded ideas are celebrated.The 10-year strategic plan aims to:
- increase the faculty, attaining critical mass in selected areas of engineering;
- enhance educational programs for all undergraduates at Harvard;
- contribute to University initiatives in basic and applied research; and
- enhance societal impacts.
Faculty and research growth
We envision a greater number of faculty, researchers, and graduate students to deepen our coverage of foundational areas in applied science and engineering as well as interfaces of these areas with others. We also plan to build a much-strengthened research infrastructure (particularly shared facilities).- Key disciplines to grow include: applied chemistry/chemical engineering and computation.
- We plan to broaden our focus in recently renewed areas such as: electrical engineering and materials science.
- Key areas of increasing focus include: biologically-inspired engineering (HIBIE); nanotechnology/ small-scale science; and energy and environmental technologies.
Undergraduate education
Former Harvard College Dean Harry Lewis summarized the College’s mission as follows: “Education at Harvard should liberate students to explore, to create, to challenge, and to lead.”With that in mind, we plan to enhance our educational programs for concentrators and to make engineering and applied sciences relevant and accessible to all Harvard students. Proposed new courses include:
- “Technology, Engineering, and Society” concentration for School concentrators who want to better understand society-related issues
- Freshman technology course(s) – “Introduction to the World of Technology” – intended to enhance technological literacy among the broader undergraduate population
Innovation
We are developing plans for a Translation Laboratory, aimed at fostering the creation of useful actions from knowledge, particularly in the arenas of technology, policy, and culture. Its mission will be to improve the quality of education and research for Harvard students and faculty and expand their capacity to benefit society.