Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cambridge, MA 02138
1
Harvard
School of Engineering
and Applied Sciences*
A brief guide† for prospective undergraduate students, their parents, and the just plain curious
1
* Defined by our students and alumni as: “A thriving intellectual community.” “Rich and rigorous.” “Camaraderie mixed in with Newton’s laws,
and Kant mixed in with differential equations.” “An engineering island in a sea of liberal arts disciplines.” “Multidimensional.” “The best of
both worlds.”
† For more info, visit our website: www.seas.harvard.edu
1
* Defined by our students and alumni as: “A thriving intellectual community.” “Rich and rigorous.” “Camaraderie mixed in with Newton’s laws,
and Kant mixed in with differential equations.” “An engineering island in a sea of liberal arts disciplines.” “Multidimensional.” “The best of
both worlds.”
† For more info, visit our website: www.seas.harvard.edu
1
1
»
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* Belle truly put the art into engineering: While at Harvard she served as a
stage manager for on-campus theater productions. She also found the time
to study abroad and to help others through MentorNet, an e-mentoring
program in science and engineering.
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1
»
0V
* Belle truly put the art into engineering: While at Harvard she served as a
stage manager for on-campus theater productions. She also found the time
to study abroad and to help others through MentorNet, an e-mentoring
program in science and engineering.
2
Academics:
All-inclusive
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1 Renaissance engineering is about the future, not the
past: training students who excel in applied science
but also have a broad knowledge of other disci-
plines and wish to connect advances in engineering
to society’s most challenging problems.
2 A professor from a local university who visited bio-
engineer Kit Parker’s “Cellular Engineering” to see
whether he might want to create a similar course
confessed that it would simply be too much work to
replicate (even without the after-class BBQ).
3 “I was given the special opportunity to study phys-
ics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, statistics,
and computer programming, while also gaining
the problem-solving skills of an engineer”—Daniel
Foti ’06. Moreover, our concentrations are ideal for
completing premed requirements.
4 We celebrate National Engineers Week, drop eggs
off buildings, play robot soccer, and offer free candy
at the Academic Office.
5 In 2005, over 50 percent of the students in ES-96, a
team-based design course, were members of either
a JV or a Varsity sport.
6 One of our colleagues in the Physics Department
wrote a book called Warped Passages: Unraveling
the Mysteries of the Hidden Dimensions.
7 Students have found the time to start companies
while earning their degrees (see page 14).
8 Miriam Esteve ’85 is Executive Vice President of
Operations, Technology, and Project Management
at U.S. Trust. Stephanie Wilson ’88 is an astronaut.
Clay Mitchell ’99 runs one of the most technologi-
cally sophisticated farms in the world.
3
»Degrees of freedom
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1
5
Renaissance
Engineer*
2
“The experience of living on an
engineering island in a sea of liberal
arts disciplines has reminded me
that the full potential of technology is reached only when a
broad user base is able to understand and utilize all of the
functionality provided by that technology.
“I want to be able to feel like I’m making a difference in the
lives of ordinary people … and my experience as an engineer
at Harvard has helped me to expand my working paradigm
to the point where I’m able to take the needs of that group
into consideration as I dream about the next generation of
innovation.”
—Darren Baker ’06/’08
* Darren is from West Jordan, Utah. Before attending Harvard, he said, “If I had to pick one
word to describe my interests, it would have to be ‘variety.’ My scholastic interests range
from chemistry and computer science to the study of history and foreign languages.”
Research:
Mind-expanding
» Listen to dozens of lectures on dozens of topics by the world’s top researchers (and
those who employ them).1
» Get your hands on state-of-the-art equipment in the newly constructed undergradu-
ate bioengineering lab; scope out the small world of nanotechnology by building your
own scanning tunneling microscope; design microchips for use in sensor networks.2
» Participate in faculty labs; take part in term-time or summer research program; 3
work and live in one of the “smartest” cities in the U.S.4
If you desire all the details or have specific aims(e.g., “I’d really like to
work on quantum-cascade lasers, program a smarter computer agent, or
model the atmosphere”)or want to know what our faculty members have
been up to, visit www.seas.harvard.edu/research/.
And there’s more to come. Harvard has announced plans to invest heav-
ily in science and engineering.5 In fact, our change in name from “Division
of” to “School of” Engineering and Applied Sciences is the most visible sign
of this commitment.
On a practical level, this investment means hiring additional faculty mem-
bers (expected to increase by 50% in engineering alone) and constructing
advanced facilities such as the Laboratory for Integrated Science and Engi-
neering and the Northwest Building, dedicated to interdisciplinary science
and engineering.6
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1 Some past luminaries have included Bill Gates COL
’77 and India’s Kapil Sibal, Minister of Science &
Technology and Ocean Development.
2 William Adams ’06 created a microelectrode array: a
14mm x 14mm “data collector” for cardiac electro-
physiological experimentation, built entirely within
the Center for Nanoscale Systems clean room.
3 Harvard offers the Program for Research in Science
and Engineering (PRISE), a 10-week 2 residential
community, and the Research Experience for Un-
dergraduates (REU), summer opportunities focused
on materials research and nanoscale science and
engineering.
4 That’s what Boston Magazine says. Lots of
universities, lots of people with PhDs, lots of
high-tech companies.
5 “Harvard will need to invest ambitiously in sciencesci-
enceengineering
and and engineering
in theincoming
the coming
yearsyears
and toand consider
to consider
how best to how
nourish
bestnew
to nourish
fields while
new fields
sustaining
while
sustaining
its traditional
its traditional
strengths, many
strengths,
of which
many lieoffirmly
which
lie firmly
within thewithin
boundaries
the boundaries
of existingofdepartments.”—
existing depart-
ments.”—President’s
President’s Office, 2006
Office, 2006
6 The first building on Harvard University’s future
Allston campus will be dedicated to interdisciplin-
ary science and stem cell research.
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»Bugs, bubbles, and soccer bots
geneva trotter ’09 works in Assistant anand bala subramaniam ’06, who con-
Professor of Electrical Engineering Rob centrated in biological sciences and is now
Wood’s lab on the design, construction, a research fellow in engineering, worked
and verification of a cockroach-inspired with Associate Dean and Vicky Joseph Pro-
microrobotic leg mechanism. Geneva ar- fessor, Howard Stone, to create micron-to
rived with a “leg up”—she loves track and millimeter-scale peapod-, doughnut-, and
field and basketball. sausage-shaped bubbles.
Wood is working to develop tiny insect- To prod them into unconventional
like flying vehicles weighing in at one gram shapes, the team coated ordinary gas
or less. His goal is to produce autonomous bubbles with a tightly packed layer of tiny
(no pilot) low-cost fliers that can cover particles and then fused them. Someday
a wide area with gliding or active flight. these odd bubbles may be used as carri-
Using insect-inspired optical-flow motion ers for delivering drugs, vitamins, or even
detection, large numbers of fliers could flavors.
rapidly fan out to scout an area. For now the work has produced a
Nature paper—with Bala Subramaniam
as the lead author.
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2
Renaissance
Engineer*
3
“I have a niche, and it was by
immersing myself in other options
that I so easily discovered it.
“All I really want to do is study the limitless beauty of
machines and design ways to harness it. Studying engineering
in a liberal arts setting has shown me that intellectual ability is
multidimensional.
“By offering courses in a wide range of disciplines and
bringing together a group of students who excel in a variety of
areas, Harvard has exposed me to the many flavors of interest
and ability. I’ve not only discovered my own unique combination
of vector components, but learned to appreciate those of my
classmates, too.”
—Anjuli P. Kannan ’09
0W
* Anjuli won a grant from Harvard’s South Asia Initiative to live in India for eight weeks in a
Rajasthan village and help teach computer literacy. She’ll no doubt rely on her experience as
a teaching fellow for “Computer Science 50, Introduction to Computer Science 1.”
Innovation:
Inside and out
Microsoft, Facebook, and a dozen dot-com ideas came to light in the wee,
dark hours. They all blossomed (or didn’t) at Harvard.1
From free mini-MBA seminars 2 to working with faculty members who
have founded their own companies 3 to summer internship opportunities
at companies like Google 4, IBM, Microsoft, and McKinsey Co., engineer-
ing and applied sciences students have many avenues for on-the-job train-
ing before they graduate.
Right on campus, budding entrepreneurs can get a boost from the Tech-
nology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard (TECH) and the emerg-
ing Translation Lab. Both initiatives provide courses and one-on-one con-
sulting for students interested in exploring idea generation and technology
transfer.
We also encourage real-world (and off-campus) experiences. In 2007,
three engineering students were awarded Weissman scholarships 5, which
enable participants to live and work across the globe. Moreover, as cultural
literacy has become increasingly critical for science and engineering, we’ve
made it easier for even SB students to have experiences abroad.6
In addition to coming up with the next Great Big Idea, we encourage
you to heed the advice of a Harvard graduate and now faculty member:
“Think of your freedom of choice—of what courses to take, of how to
spend your Sunday afternoons, whatever—as a commodity that is precious
in and of itself.”7
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1 Part of the code for what became Microsoft’s first
commercial program is displayed in Maxwell
Dworkin—a building made possible by a donation
from Steven Ballmer ’77 and Bill Gates COL ’77 and
named for their mothers.
2 In keeping with the real-world emphasis of the
noncredit course, stellar faculty members, as well
as some of Cambridge’s most successful practicing
entrepreneurs from Harvard Business School teach
the seminars.
3 Pulmatrix, a start-up that develops products to
diagnose, treat, prevent, or inhibit the spread of
airborne infectious diseases, grew out of an under-
graduate engineering course.
4 In 2004, Google placed the following ad in the Har-
vard Square subway station: “[first 10-digit prime
found in consecutive digits of e].com”
5 During the summer of 2007, 39 Weissman interns
worked in a wide range of private and public
organizations in business, education, the environ-
ment, government, health and medicine, law, media,
public service, science, and urban planning.
6 Courtney O’Brien ’09 (AM) studied in Paris;
Jacqueline Stenson ’08 (ES) studied in Durban,
South Africa; and Christina Ke Xu ’09 (CS) studied
in Kingston, Jamaica.
7 Harry Lewis
Lewis,’68,
Harvard
’74, Harvard
College Professor
College Professor
and Gordon
and
McKay Professor
Gordon McKay Professor
of Computer
of Computer
Science Science
and former
and
Dean ofDean
former the College.
of the College.
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»Drug delivery,
delivery room, classroom
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3
Renaissance
Engineer*
4
“Engineering in a liberal arts
setting means that there is
camaraderie mixed in with
Newton’s laws, and Kant mixed
in with differential equations.
“The liberal arts requirement here has given me the
opportunity to study a wide variety of subjects including classical
Greek literature, philosophy, linguistics, French, and African-
American history.
“The engineering education that I am getting in Harvard’s
liberal arts setting is preparing me quite well to face the
challenges of any career I choose.”
—Florence Evina-Ze ’07/’08
0
* Florence, who was on the Harvard track team and Vice President of the Harvard Society
of Black Scientists and Engineers, also spent a summer working in London at a firm that
specializes in research on renewable energy and low carbon technologies.
Things to come:
Unlimited application
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1 To get the full picture, e-mail us (ugradadmissions@
seas.harvard.edu) with any questions, and most
important, visit the campus.
2 A 2005 survey conducted by the National Associa-
tion of Colleges and Employers revealed that nine of
the 10 highest average starting salaries go to those
with degrees in engineering and applied sciences.
3 “Engineering and applied sciences are everywhere
and underlie everything, from commerce to quan-
tum physics, and connect every place, from Boston
to Bangladesh”—Venkatesh “Venky” Narayanamurti,
Dean of the Harvard School of Engineering and Ap-
plied Sciences.
4 A book widely discussed by engineering deans.
5 Steven Ballmer ’77 (Applied Math/Economics), chief
executive officer of Microsoft, successfully blended
technology with management.
6 Taken from the strategic vision document for engi-
neering and applied sciences.
7 Some alumni like to keep everyone guessing.
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»Banker, baker, cgi-maker
gary schermerhorn ’85 (Computer Sci- Given that surveys predict most individuals
ence), cfo-coo at Goldman Sachs Tech will have several careers during their work-
Division, paved a path that combined a ing lives, not all those who earn technical
foundational approach with a practical one. degrees will limit themselves to technical
“While I wrestled with philosophy or ab- fields—at least in the traditional sense.
stract computing theories, I was concerned joanne chang ’96 (Applied Math/
that students at other universities were Economics) went from consulting at
receiving a more practical, technical educa- McKinsey to being the pastry chef/owner
tion,” he says. “But I gained a much broader of Flour Bakery in Boston (famed for
perspective on technology. I can’t say that making its own pop tarts). ken keeler ab
it’s only the Harvard approach that has ’83 and phd ’90 (both in Applied Math)
made me this way, but I would be against switched from equations to comedy,
diluting the foundational approach to tech- becoming a writer and producer for The
nical learning to expand the practical.” Simpsons and Futurama.
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4
»Numbers of note
5:1faculty/student ratio
$37.5 million n sponsored rese i
league” tournament
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does an engineering degree at how can i get involved if i do not
harvard fully prepare students for concentrate in engineering?
graduate school and careers? Opportunities include extracurricular activi-
Past students have attended graduate school ties such as the Harvard College Computer
programs at leading universities (including Society (hcs) and the Harvard College
those with “technology” in their names) in Engineering Society (hces); competitions,
areas ranging from engineering to law to such as those available through the Harvard
business to medicine. Others have taken Computing Club (hc3); and campus-wide
jobs right after graduation with leading con- groups such as Women in Science at Har-
sulting, engineering, and business firms. vard-Radcliffe (wishr).
what is the size of the program? what does the future hold for
Data from 2006–2007: Undergraduates: ~ engineering at harvard?
300 concentrators (over 40% of students In the past decade, the Engineering and
are minorities, including Asian, or foreign Applied Sciences program has undergone a
nationals; 35% of students are women). spectacular renewal, hiring 40 new fac-
Graduate students: 346. Faculty members: ulty members and building a host of new
73 full-time and about 87 participants in all. facilities. “Continued rapid growth in key
areas of engineering and life sciences, in
particular, is not only vital for the competi-
tive position of the University … but also in
maximizing the return on our investment
in buildings and infrastructure—which will
bolster the health of the Faculty as a whole
…” (Faculty of the Arts and Sciences Dean’s
Annual Letter, 2006).
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»Learn more
as an engineer?
For more information about Harvard
College, financial aid, campus visits, and
how to apply:
harvard college office of
“Perhaps because Harvard has a thriving intellectual community admissions and financial aid
where people from all backgrounds can come together to discuss Agassiz House
10 Garden Street
issues ranging from politics to structure design. Cambridge, MA 02138
“Surrounding yourself with others who think as you do and (617) 495-1551
www.admissions.college.harvard.edu
dream as you do can only help you to grow in directions you www.harvard.edu
have already turned to on your own.
“To truly stretch the bounds of your mind requires interacting For more information about undergraduate
with people whose interests lie beyond your own and learning study in engineering and applied sciences
from them what you can.” at Harvard:
harvard school of
—Belle Koven ’06* engineering and applied sciences
Academic Office
Pierce Hall 110
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 495-2833
E-mail: ugradadmissions@seas.harvard.edu
www.seas.harvard.edu
0V
* Belle truly put the art into engineering: While at Harvard she served as a
stage manager for on-campus theater productions. She also found the time
to study abroad and to help others through MentorNet, an e-mentoring
program in science and engineering.
2
Pierce Hall, 29 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
1
Harvard
School of Engineering
and Applied Sciences*
A brief guide† for prospective undergraduate students, their parents, and the just plain curious
1
* Defined by our students and alumni as: “A thriving intellectual community.” “Rich and rigorous.” “Camaraderie mixed in with Newton’s laws,
and Kant mixed in with differential equations.” “An engineering island in a sea of liberal arts disciplines.” “Multidimensional.” “The best of
both worlds.”
† For more info, visit our website: www.seas.harvard.edu
1