The student-organized event that aims “to bring big ideas back to the center,” according to co-founder Peter Davis ’12, took on the trappings of permanence with T-shirt sales, live-streaming online, a big-screen Tweet display, and on-stage interludes by The Nostalgics, a student band. Although students were not queued up in the cold like last year, thanks to a better ticketing process, members of the Harvard University Band played outside Sanders Theatre before the show, lending a festive air.

The short-course format harks to the example of the TED talks, the online sensation created 28 years ago by a nonprofit to foster exchange of the latest thinking on technology, engineering, and design by cutting-edge thinkers.

“We genetically modify foods. Why not stimulate muscle cells and inhibit fat stem cells and brain stem cells?” asked Douglas A. Melton, a leading light in stem cell research.

While many of the eight faculty speakers in the third “Harvard Thinks Big” prodded the student audience to think deeply about how to solve major national and global issues, Kaia Stern, a lecturer in ethics at Harvard Divinity School, implored them to “act big.”

She urged students to think of the one in 31 Americans behind bars or on parole or probation, according to a Pew Center study, and to tackle the accelerating rate of imprisonment in the United States, which she said has a higher incarceration rate than Russia, Iran, Iraq, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico combined.

Stern, who also is affiliated with the African and African American Studies Department and teaches sociology to inmates at the Norfolk and Framingham state prisons, said the surge in mass imprisonment in America is everyone’s problem.

“For as long as we tolerate poverty and live in fear, Americans are complicit in the cycle of crime,” she said.

Douglas A. Melton, a leading light in stem cell research, urged the audience to consider a different context for what it means to be human. He offered a clear, concise explanation of stem cells and how they are important because they can self-renew, make exact copies of themselves, and specialize.

Melton, who is co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, was inspired decades ago to focus on stem cell research for the pancreas following the diagnosis of two children with type I diabetes. He said the goal is to find the switch that inhibits stem cell growth. He showed a slide of a heavily muscled bull that had just kept growing muscle because the inhibitors to muscle cell growth had been turned off.

Medical Sociology Professor Nicholas Christakis’ research has been the topic of two TED talks and earned him a place as one of the most influential thinkers in Time 100.

Melton proposed using modern recombinant DNA biology — which is being applied to crops to make them disease- and insect-resistant — to grow foods that stimulate the growth of desirable stem cells.

“We genetically modify foods. Why not stimulate muscle cells and inhibit fat stem cells and brain stem cells?”

Evolutionary Biology Professor Daniel Lieberman zeroed in on the problem at the core of many diseases: runaway obesity. By 2015, he said, there will be 3 billion obese adults, largely because we have evolved over a relatively short period of industrialization to crave sugar, fat, and salt.

“The message of Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ program is drowned out by the $2 billion spent to market unhealthy food to children,” he said.

Lieberman, who chairs the Human Evolutionary Biology Department, said the cascading effects on human health and medical costs are so catastrophic that government should require exercise just as it mandates vaccinations and other public health measures.

The trend has been negative even at Harvard, which had a physical education requirement of four hours a week from 1920 to 1970.

“Instead of thinking big, maybe we should think small and require physical education again,” Lieberman said to hearty applause.

Donhee Ham, Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, showed how symmetry is as integral to the classical music of Chopin and Bach as it is to engineering feats.

Medical Sociology Professor Nicholas Christakis told the Web-savvy students that actually social networks have been vibrant and important to human happiness for thousands of years. Christakis’ research has been the topic of two TED talks and earned him a place as one of the most influential thinkers in Time 100. He talked about how happiness has been mapped as something that travels among associates in a network.

“It is the ties between people that make the whole greater than the sum of its parts,” said Christakis.

In addition, the popular Donhee Ham, Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, showed how symmetry is as integral to the classical music of Chopin and Bach as it is to engineering feats. Cogan University Professor of the Humanities Stephen Greenblatt described how Shakespeare built audiences and changed societal thought as he introduced new words and changed thinking about life and death with each play performance.

History professor and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore described how the goals of life changed in iterations of the board game of “Life” from the time that Harvard dropout Milton Bradley developed “The Checkered Game of Life” in 1860 to present-day products. And Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor Eleanor Duckworth discussed how teaching is best when it’s about “helping people learn rather than telling people what you know.”

Teaching is best when it’s about “helping people learn rather than telling people what you know," Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor Eleanor Duckworth told the audience.

“The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation are honored to present multi-platinum artist John Legend with the 2012 Artist of the Year award,” said S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation. “His contributions to music and distinguished history of creativity have been appreciated by people throughout the world, and he is greatly admired for his excellent humanitarian efforts through his Show Me Campaign, an initiative that uses education to break the cycle of poverty.”

Legend launched his career as a session player and vocalist, contributing to best-selling recordings by Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, and Kanye West before recording his own unbroken chain of top 10 albums — “Get Lifted” (2004), “Once Again” (2006), and “Evolver” (2008) — each of them reaching No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts.

Most recently, Legend and the band The Roots released “Wake Up!” (2010), a compilation of music from the ’60s and ’70s all with an underlying theme of awareness, engagement, and social consciousness, which won two Grammy Awards for best R&B album and best traditional R&B vocal performance.

Throughout his career, Legend has worked to make a difference in the lives of others. He was awarded the 2010 BET Humanitarian of the Year Award, the CARE Humanitarian Award for Global Change in June 2009, and the 2009 Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award from Africare.

“A champion for both social justice and quality education for all, Legend remains a true inspiration through his philanthropy work, and Harvard University is proud to honor his humanitarian efforts both domestically and internationally by awarding him with the Harvard Foundation’s Artist of the Year award,” Counter said.

The Harvard Foundation, Harvard’s center for intercultural arts and sciences initiatives, honors the nation’s most acclaimed artists and scientists each year.  Previous Harvard Foundation awards have been presented to several distinguished artists including Shakira, Quincy Jones, Sharon Stone, Andy Garcia, Will Smith, Matt Damon, Halle Berry, Jackie Chan, Denzel Washington, Salma Hayek, Wyclef Jean, and Herbie Hancock.

For additional information about the Cultural Rhythms Festival, including ticket information, visit its website.

The program was launched in December 2011 and received a large number of applications from around the world. Candidates were asked to submit a personal statement detailing their interest in their chosen field and what they hoped to gain from attending the summit.

“My interest in economics revolves around developmental economics, as I believe that the key to fighting poverty in many underdeveloped countries is through investment in human capital and public infrastructure,” said Agrawal. “The Warwick Economics Summit is an amazing opportunity to meet and share ideas with students, professors, and economists from around the world who share a similar vision, and I am looking forward to learning from so many great minds.”

The Radcliffe Pitches, Harvard’s oldest female a capella group, serenaded Segel on the steps of the Memorial Church, performing numbers such as “Orange-Colored Sky” and “Peel Me a Grape.” Segel, who sang a number of songs in last year’s film “The Muppets” — including “Man or Muppet,” which is nominated for an Academy Award for Original Song — appeared delighted by the surprise performance. During the final number, the Pitches’ signature song “You’d Be Surprised,” Segel even burst into a spontaneous waltz with soloist Haley Bennett ’13.

“That was amazing!” Segel said at the end of the performance. “You guys sound fantastic; thank you so much.”

When two students approached Segel to ask for a picture, he immediately agreed. “He’s just awesome,” said Alex Almore ’12, who snapped the picture with her phone. “We’re really excited that he’s here — and then we were so close!”

“He seems like such a personable guy, so we didn’t think that he would reject us,” said Sarah Cirone ’14. “He was so nice.”

Segel waved when he saw a woman in the window wearing a handmade field-goal post on top of her headband, in preparation of the upcoming Super Bowl. “That’s not just me, right?” Segel asked, laughing. “You guys see her, too?”

At the John Harvard Statue, Segel interrupted the tour guide to ask if others also saw a woman in the window wearing a handmade field-goal post on top of her headband, in preparation of the upcoming Super Bowl. “That’s not just me, right?” Segel asked, laughing. “You guys see her, too?”

Patriots fan and Harvard employee Elaine Cox, financial and executive assistant, then emerged from Harvard Hall to offer Segel a Harvard knit cap. “We have a Giants fan in our office, and I just wanted to tease her,” Cox said, laughing. “I didn’t get a picture (with Segel), but I did get a hug!”

Shannon Inghram, assistant to the dean, had kept watch to see when Segel arrived at the statue. “He’s adorable,” Ingram said of Segel. “I saw him on ‘Saturday Night Live’ a few weeks back, and loved “The Muppets.’ He’s such a good writer and actor, and it was great to see him on campus.”

Later this evening, the producers of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Jyotika Banga ’13 and Mary Jane Sakellariadis ’13, hosted a celebrity roast for Segel and presented him with his Pudding Pot in Farkas Hall. Also tonight, the Hasty Pudding will open its 164th production, “There Will Be Flood.” The Hasty Pudding Theatricals named Claire Danes its Woman of the Year. She was honored with her Pudding Pot on Jan. 26.

The event marks the official opening of Arts First (April 26-29), Harvard’s annual festival showcasing student and faculty creativity, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The award ceremony, presented by the Office for the Arts at Harvard’s Learning From Performers  Program and the Board of Overseers of Harvard College, will be held at 3 p.m. at Sanders Theatre. In a talk moderated by fellow actor and Harvard alumnus John Lithgow ’67, Jones will discuss his life and career.

Revered for his deadpan portrayals of law enforcement/military officers and other authority figures, Jones has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as best supporting actor for his portrayal of federal marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller “The Fugitive.”

Jones’ first film as a director was “The Good Old Boys” in 1995, a made-for-television movie. Recently Jones co-starred with Ben Affleck in the recession drama “The Company Men” and appeared in the film “Captain America: The First Avenger.” His current projects include “Men in Black III,” “Great Hope Springs,” and Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” in which he plays Vice President Thaddeus Stevens.

As an upperclassman at Harvard, Jones shared a room in Dunster House with Al Gore. Jones appeared in undergraduate theater productions, notably with John Lithgow in Christopher Fry’s “The Lady’s Not for Burning,” in 1967. Offstage, Jones played offensive tackle on Harvard’s undefeated 1968 varsity football team and was nominated as a first-team All-Ivy League selection. Jones played in the memorable 1968 game in which Harvard made a last-minute 16-point comeback to tie Yale. He recounts his memory of “the most famous football game in Ivy League history” in the documentary “Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.” Jones graduated cum laude from Harvard with a bachelor of arts in English in 1969.

The Harvard Arts Medal honors a distinguished Harvard or Radcliffe graduate or faculty member who has achieved excellence in the arts and has made a contribution through the arts to education or the public good. Previous medal recipients include photographer Susan Meiselas, Ed.M. ’71; visual artist and essayist Catherine Lord ’70; saxophonists/composers Joshua Redman ’91 and Fred Ho ’79; composers John Adams ’69, M.A. ’72, and John Harbison ’60; playwright Christopher Durang ’71; poets John Ashbery ’49 and Maxine Kumin ’41; cellist Yo-Yo Ma ’76; film director Mira Nair ’79; conductor and founder of Les Arts Florissants William Christie ’66; stage director Peter Sellars ’80; National Theatre of the Deaf founder David Hays ’52; author John Updike ’54; songwriter/musicians Bonnie Raitt ’72 and Pete Seeger ’40; and actor Jack Lemmon ’47.

Admission is free but tickets are required (limit two per person), available through the Harvard Box Office at Holyoke Center beginning April 17. Some remaining tickets may be available at the door one hour prior to event start time. For more information, call 617.496.2222 (TTY, 617.495.1642).

This year’s gift options are a bouquet of 10 daffodils, for $10; bear and a bunch, $25; potted daffodil bulbs, $15; Gift of Hope (a bunch of daffodils delivered to a local hospital), $25; and Bear Hug of Hope (a Daffodil Days teddy bear delivered to a local hospital), $25.

All orders must be placed through a department coordinator via check, money order, or online. For more information.

The Goldsmith Prizes are underwritten by an annual gift from the Goldsmith Fund of the Greenfield Foundation. The prizes recognize and encourage journalism that promotes more effective and ethical conduct of government, the making of public policy, or the practice of politics by disclosing excessive secrecy, impropriety and mismanagement, or instances of particularly commendable government performance.

The six finalists for the 2012 Goldsmith Prize:

Brian Ross, Anna Schecter, and the ABC News Investigative Team
ABC News 20/20
“Peace Corps: A Trust Betrayed”

Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Eileen Sullivan, and Chris Hawley
Associated Press
“NYPD Intelligence Division”

Jim Morris, Ronnie Greene, Chris Hamby, and Keith Epstein, Center for Public Integrity; and Elizabeth Shogren, Howard Berkes, Sandra Bartlett, and Susanne Reber
National Public Radio
“Poisoned Places: Toxic Air, Neglected Communities”

Mark Greenblatt, David Raziq, and Keith Tomshe
KHOU-TV (CBS Houston)
“A Matter of Risk: Radiation, Drinking Water, and Deception”

Danny Hakim and Russell Buettner
The New York Times
“Abused and Used”

Dafna Linzer and Jennifer LaFleur
ProPublica (co-published with The Washington Post)
“Presidential Pardons”

Read more about the journalists and their stories.

But a year later, I held in my hands a copy of “Curveball: the Remarkable Story of Toni Stone, the First Woman to Play Baseball in the Negro League.” The author, Martha Ackmann, a former Augustus Anson Whitney Scholar in non-fiction at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, was my research mentor in what would become one of my most valuable experiences at Harvard.

Since my freshman year, I have worked at Radcliffe, researching alongside visiting fellows on a slew of projects. I am always impressed by their range, the scope of which is revealed during an annual celebratory dinner. Scientists, musicians, writers, and artists work with students, mentoring in their respective fields and researching side by side. The research element has been fundamental in my development as a student.

As a perhaps-too-confident freshman, I thought that I was well versed in research, until my fellow encouraged me to explore the abundant Harvard resources. We are all told from the outset of freshman year that Harvard has unparalleled resources: the largest collegiate library; large collections of bequeathed journals and letters; nearly 17 million volumes. Spending hours tracking books in Pusey Library or gently leafing through originals in Houghton, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the immensity of Harvard’s holdings. Working with the Radcliffe fellows has allowed me to develop relationships with great thinkers and navigate the wealth of historic and literary sources.

More than the research, however, I have come to value the essence of cooperation that the Radcliffe Research Partnership epitomizes. Learning from people who have been trailblazers in their fields is an opportunity that few receive. Further, the administrative support at Radcliffe from both Sharon Bromberg-Lim and Marlon Cummings is extraordinary. Acting as radical activists on behalf of all researchers and fellows, they organize a remarkable program for those involved. The program is creative, dynamic, and vibrant. When I was a freshman, my desire to be involved in research was limited by my own imagination. Having had little experience with research tools, I could not imagine the possibilities that Radcliffe encourages.

As researchers guide students through their projects, they simultaneously act as mentors in various capacities, both academic and professional. I dread the day when my ID no longer gives me access to Harvard’s resources. Nevertheless, the hours spent researching for Radcliffe crafted me into a better thinker and writer than I ever hoped to be. Though I have not completed the fabled three things before graduating (nor is that likely), I am delighted that my Harvard experience has invited the intimacy of library research and the thrill of new discoveries shared with the fellows.

If you’re an undergraduate or graduate student and have an essay to share about life at Harvard, please email your ideas to Jim Concannon, the Gazette’s news editor, at Jim_Concannon@harvard.edu.

What started in 1894 as a prim club for faculty wives has evolved into one of the least exclusive, most eclectic social organizations at Harvard. Faculty, staff, visiting scholars, fellows, postdocs, and retirees may join, along with their spouses or partners. The group currently has nearly 300 dues-paying members. (Graduate students and their families have their own support network, the Harvard Students’ Spouses and Partners Association.)

“People may consider this an old-fashioned organization, but I believe it has and continues to serve the University well,” said Jacoba von Gimborn, Harvard Neighbors’ director since 1998. “The goal is simply to make people say, ‘I was at Harvard, and it was a really good experience.’ ”

While that mission has remained the same over the years, von Gimborn stressed, Harvard Neighbors has evolved to serve it as the needs of the Harvard community have changed. As Harvard has become more diverse, so have Harvard Neighbors’ offerings. Daytime playgroups for international parents, evening lectures by faculty, weekend outings to art galleries or apple orchards: If it can be done in a group, Harvard Neighbors likely hosts it.

“We’re here to provide what people need,” von Gimborn said. “Maybe in the 1950s and ’60s, that was a cocktail hour. Maybe in the 19th century, it was an afternoon tea.

“Now,” she added, looking around the organization’s cozy, multipurpose space in the Loeb House basement, “it’s this.”

As Harvard has become more international, so has Harvard Neighbors. In recent years, the group has been an invaluable resource for the University’s immigrant community, including visiting researchers or fellows and their significant others. One recent afternoon, a meeting of an English conversation practice group drew a gaggle of fellows and spouses from Poland, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and Israel.

“I [wanted] to meet people in the same situation as me, because my fiancé works a lot,” said Agnes Ebinger, who emigrated from Warsaw in January for her fiancé’s job at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. While she plans to take courses at Harvard Extension School, she wanted a chance to practice her English in a more relaxed setting, she said.

Insung Hwang, a visiting scholar in the East Asian Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School (HLS) and a judge in his native South Korea, found that the meetings offered a casual atmosphere he wouldn’t find in an English-as-a-second-language class. The one thing the group lacked? Male camaraderie.

“It’s very difficult to be one man among so many women,” he joked good-naturedly to his all-female conversation group.

Harvard Neighbors began to expand in the early 1970s, when Sissela Bok, wife of President Derek Bok, undertook the task of modernizing the organization. Bok created a system of neighborhood networks, spreading out to towns like Belmont and Arlington to hold “coffee-klatches” for Harvard families, von Gimborn said.

While volunteers no longer show up at new members’ homes with trays of cookies, that welcoming spirit is still very much alive, its members stressed.

When Will Doss Suter joined the University Planning Office in 2010, a colleague suggested he look into Harvard Neighbors. “At first I was confused, since I don’t live in Cambridge, let alone near the campus,” said Suter, an urban design planner who is now a board member. “But I think the name actually captures part of what’s great about Harvard Neighbors. We’re surrounded by a community of talented individuals from around the world, but all too often only interact with those in our immediate vicinity, department, or field.”

The organization relies heavily on volunteers, who serve as board members, organize events, or lead interest groups ranging from a German book club to an outdoor excursions group. (Von Gimborn is the only paid staff member.) Volunteers are especially crucial in welcoming new members from abroad; in some cases, they’ve even taken newcomers to the region on shopping trips for proper winter coats, von Gimborn said.

“It’s almost like a welcoming committee for Harvard,” said Scott Cipolla, a staff assistant at the Peabody Museum who leads the popular interest group Adventures in Art, which takes members on tours of area galleries and museums. “It offers people a chance to come, and they speak their own language, so they have the camaraderie of being in this strange land together.”

Harvard Neighbors is also a haven for the University’s sizable underground art community, said Mary Lancaster, a sculptor and senior financial manager at the Joint Center for Housing Studies. For more than 30 years, Harvard Neighbors has showcased staff artists’ work, including Lancaster’s, turning the Loeb House meeting room into a de-facto art gallery.

“There seems to be a yearning [among staff] for more opportunities to meet other artists or to perform or display their art,” Lancaster said. “But it’s hard to connect that interest with actual opportunities. Harvard Neighbors fills an important piece of that puzzle.”

It’s not easy being a catchall club in the social-networking era, when it’s now easier than ever to find others who share one’s niche interests, von Gimborn said. But Harvard Neighbors’ enduring presence on campus proves that the desire for community persists, even in the Internet age.

“People will use Facebook or the Internet, but they still want to meet people face-to-face,” she said. “We try to offer that connection, especially in a world that can be harsh at times. I think people miss that.”

But until recently, assigning those desks was an arduous, paper-based process, one that left students submitting preferences and hoping for the best. Convinced there could be an easier way, Costa oversaw creation of an online application that makes picking the perfect nook as simple as selecting a seat on a flight through an airline website.

Inscriptio was launched with support from the Harvard Library Lab, an innovation-minded program for University librarians, this past fall. Now, any qualified researcher seeking a carrel in Widener can simply log in and view a map of 300 choices, with vacancies updated in real time. It’s an elegant solution that lets patrons focus on the how of their research, rather than the where.

“This just seemed like a universally good idea,” said Costa, head of billing and privileges for Widener and Lamont libraries.

While some scholars and students rarely use their carrels, others occupy them with a fanatical zeal. After all, libraries are where serious studying happens, and Widener in particular has a reputation for fostering concentration.

“A lot of people use the library as a space to up their game,” said Cheryl McGrath, head of access services at Widener, who first proposed the idea for an online carrel system to Costa. “The space defines your mental state; it creates that research atmosphere.”

Carrel-seekers’ preferences can be finicky. Many researchers prefer to be near the stacks that they plan to frequent, while others simply want a spot in a quiet or well-lit area.

Before Inscriptio, “people would come down [to the desk] and say, ‘I’d like a carrel that’s near the bathroom and faces the south-side windows, and I’d like there to be sunlight from 1 to 2,’ ” Costa said with a laugh. “It was almost like selling real estate.”

Inscriptio also aims to minimize scheduling conflicts among scholars who must share carrels, a common occurrence. Its bulletin board feature allows students to upload their schedules and work out their hours.

“It takes the staff out of the mix and allows the carrel holders to work out any issues directly with one another,” Costa said, adding that she and her staff are always available to mediate the occasional heated dispute.

Inscriptio has been a boon not just to stressed-out students and faculty, but to library employees as well. Widener estimates that the switch to an online system has saved Billing and Privileges five weeks’ worth of man-hours.

“The paper’s gone, the Excel spreadsheets are gone, even the carrel cards are gone,” Costa said.

Costa is quick to acknowledge that the project was a collaborative effort, involving developers from the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and many other members of the Widener staff, who helped with everything from designing graphics to providing feedback on the user experience. “I was just here making sure we were all talking and figuring out what needed to happen,” she said.

That kind of teamwork and idea sharing has become essential as the Library Transition — a reorganization of Harvard’s 70-plus individual libraries — gets under way, Costa said. “Knowing that things are going to change — I think that’s a real prompting to get out there and work with everybody. Being in our respective silos is no longer an option.”

Costa’s leadership on Inscriptio garnered her a Harvard College Library Excellence in Service Award in November. It was her second honor in as many years; in 2010 she received the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Distinction award.

“She’s an excellent listener, and she really offers hospitality,” McGrath said of Costa’s work with patrons on billing and access issues. “She realizes that some of our patrons have come sometimes thousands of miles to do research that can only be done here.”

So far, Inscriptio has proved a success. It will soon be piloted at other Harvard libraries, and representatives from Yale recently visited Widener in the hope of acquiring it for use in their library system.

Still, Costa is the first to admit not everything at Widener can be computerized.

“We’re the first people scholars and students see when they come in,” she said. “People will always have questions, will always want to talk things out with a real person. You can’t replace that.”

In the fresh air of Radcliffe Quad, where the contoured and traditional lawn chairs have arms for books or laptops or lunch, the grass is perfectly manicured, not pockmarked or brown, not worn on the edges. Frisbee matches are uninterrupted by tourists. Occasionally, solitude reigns.

Currier, Pforzheimer, and Cabot Houses also border the Quad, but mostly it belongs to Cabot House, which has residences on three of the four sides. In midafternoon, the sound of children laughing can be heard, as youngsters in the after-school program at Graham & Parks elementary school roll down the grassy slope.

It is peaceful on Radcliffe Quad. There’s no river traffic or geese to waken weekend slumber. There are no late-night revelers passing open widows facing Harvard Square. The view from the southern tip of Cabot as the sun rises or sets is lovely. “Got quadded?” Yes, indeed!

Field of dreams

Radcliffe Quadrangle is bordered by Cabot House on three sides and by Pforzheimer House (center). The Quad is about a 12-minute walk, or half a mile, from Harvard Square.

So soothing

Propped on two Adirondack chairs, Michelle Haan '12, who lives in Pforzheimer House, kicks back with some jams.

Foliage

Autumn colors frame the edges of the quad.

Roll with it

During their after-school program, young Graham and Parks Alternative Public School students come with their teacher to roll down the small hill on the edge of the quad.

Monkeying around

Graham and Parks students play on the quad.

Winter’s coming

Fall’s last leaves hang by the pathways that encircle the quad.

Doggone it

Many dogs like Henry, a mini, long-haired dachshund owned by Garrett Holmes '13, a Harvard Law School student, visit the quad each day.

Quad work

Even after sunset, warm weather draws students onto the quad. Cabot House resident Blake Wilkey '12 gets some schoolwork done on his laptop.

Hungry eyes

Cabot and Pforzheimer Dining Halls are located beneath the Moors Hall (Pforzheimer House) terrace. Along with Currier, these are the only Harvard undergraduate Houses that are not River Houses.

Bright lights

A lantern on the south side of Radcliffe Quad lights pathways at dusk.

Photo slideshow: On the Quad

Rose Lincoln/Staff Photographer

In accordance with the University’s fair market rent policy, HUH charges market rents for Harvard University Housing. To establish the proposed rents for 2012-13, Jayendu Patel of Economic, Financial, & Statistical Consulting Services performed and endorsed the results of a regression analysis on three years of market rents for more than 3,200 apartments. The apartments included in the analysis were either posted at HUH’s office by non-Harvard property owners or were supplied by a real estate appraisal firm or a local brokerage company in order to provide comparable private rental market listings of competing apartment complexes in Cambridge and Boston. The results of this market analysis and of other market research indicate that HUH 2012-13 market rents will be limited to a 5.5 percent increase on average across the 3,000-unit portfolio relative to last year’s rents, although within the portfolio rents on some units have been adjusted up or down based on current market conditions. As always, all revenues generated by Harvard University Housing in excess of operating expenses and debt service are used to fund capital improvements and renewal of the facilities in HUH’s existing residential portfolio.

The proposed new market rents noted in this article have been reviewed and endorsed by the Faculty Advisory Committee on HUH* and will take effect July 1 for a term of one year.

Proposed 2012-13 continuing rents for Harvard affiliates

Most current Harvard University Housing tenants who choose to extend their lease for another year will either receive a 4.5 percent rent increase or will be charged the new market rent for their apartment, whichever rent is lower. Heat, hot water, and electricity are included in all Harvard University Housing apartment rents, and gas is also included, where applicable.  Harvard Internet service is included in most apartment rents.

HUH tenants will receive an email in March 2012 with instructions on how to submit a request to either extend or terminate their current lease. Tenants who would like additional information or help in determining their continuing rent rates for 2012-13 may call HUH’s leasing office at 617.495.1459.

Proposed 2012-13 rents for new tenants effective July 1, 2012

The annual market analysis for proposed 2012-13 rents resulted in a recommendation that average rents for affiliates across the portfolio increase 5.5 percent relative to the prior year. Because Harvard’s fair market rent policy is applied on a unit-by-unit basis, market rental rates for some unit types and locations will increase and others will decrease, based on current market conditions.

• 10 Akron St. (all utilities and Harvard Internet service included): studios $1,458-$1,710; one-bedroom convertibles $1,840-$2,032.
• 18 Banks/8A Mt. Auburn: (all utilities included): one bedrooms $1,684-$1,956; two bedrooms $2,172-$2,306.
• Beckwith Circle (all utilities included): three bedrooms $2,232-$2,439; four bedrooms $2,664-$2,884.
• Botanic Gardens (all utilities and Harvard Internet service included):  one bedrooms $1,768-$1,870; two bedrooms $2,236-$2,376; three bedrooms $2,730-$2,928.
• 472-474 Broadway (all utilities included): one bedrooms $1,664-$1,722.
• 5 Cowperthwaite St. (all utilities and Harvard Internet service included): studios $1,520-$1,730; one bedrooms $1,836-$1,852; one-bedroom convertibles $1,866-$1,996; two bedrooms $2,242-$2,416.
• 27 Everett St. (all utilities included): one bedrooms $1,860-$1,986; three bedrooms $2,898-$3,069.
• 29 Garden St. (all utilities and Harvard Internet service included): studios $1,418-$1,536; one-bedroom convertibles $1,778-$1,924; two-bedroom efficiencies $2,060-$2,164; two bedrooms $2,378-$2,444; three bedrooms $2,898-$3,099.
• Harvard @ Trilogy (all utilities and Harvard Internet included): studios $1,570-$1,740; one-bedroom convertibles $2,052-$2,190; two-bedroom efficiencies $2,342-$2,640.
• Haskins Hall (all utilities included): studios $1,428-$1,518; one bedrooms $1,626-$1,782.
• Holden Green (all utilities included): one bedrooms $1,494-$1,788; two bedrooms $1,902-$2,076; three bedrooms $2,466-$2,862.
• 2 Holyoke St. (all utilities included): one bedrooms $1,622-$1,716.
• Kirkland Court (all utilities included): one bedrooms $1,594-$1,744; two bedrooms $2,096-$2,378; three bedrooms $2,832-$2,931.
• Peabody Terrace (all utilities and Harvard Internet included): studios $1,258-$1,616; one bedrooms $1,532-$1,874; two bedrooms $1,916-$2,280; three bedrooms $2,739-$3,039.
• 16 Prescott St. (all utilities included): studios $1,328-$1,368; one bedrooms $1,556-$1,628.
• 18 Prescott St. (all utilities included): studios $1,270-$1,322; one bedrooms $1,550-$1,680.
• 20-20A Prescott St. (all utilities included):  studios $1,290-$1,488; one bedrooms $1,666-$2,030; two bedrooms $2,242-$2,316; three bedrooms $2,805-$2,997: four bedrooms $3,312-$3,346.
• 22–24 Prescott Street (all utilities included): studios $1,316-$1,530; one bedrooms $1,616-$1,754.
• 85–95 Prescott St. (all utilities included): studios $1,408-$1,558; one bedrooms $1,656-$1,878; two bedrooms $2,100.
• Shaler Lane: (all utilities included): one bedrooms $1,562-$1,674; two bedrooms $2,024-$2,182.
• Soldiers Field Park (all utilities and Harvard Internet included): studios $1,522-$1,670; one bedrooms $1,770-$1,962; two bedrooms $2,216-$2,526; three bedrooms $2,634-$3,096.
• Terry Terrace (all utilities and Harvard Internet included): studios $1,494-$1,546; one bedrooms $1,724-$1,854; two bedrooms $2,192-$2,256.
• 9–13A Ware St. (all utilities included): studios $1,408-$1,486; one bedrooms $1,650-$1,796; two bedrooms $2,138-$2,148.
• 19 Ware St. (all utilities included): two bedrooms $2,516-$2,610; three bedrooms $2,874.
• One Western Ave. (all utilities and Harvard Internet included): studios $1,550-$1,730; one bedrooms $1,726-$1,972; two bedrooms $2,202-$2,468; three bedrooms $2,808-$3,114.
• Wood Frame Buildings (all utilities included): studios $992-$1,592; one bedrooms $1,472-$2,112; two bedrooms $1,874-$2,836; three bedrooms $2,331-$3,390; four bedrooms $3,538.

Written comments on the proposed rents may be sent to the Faculty Advisory Committee on Harvard University Housing, c/o Harvard University Housing, 1350 Massachusetts Ave., Holyoke Center 807, Cambridge, MA 02138.  Comments to the committee may also be sent via email to leasing@harvard.edu. Any written comments should be submitted to either of the above addresses by Feb. 17.

The comments received will be reviewed by the Faculty Advisory Committee, which includes David Carrasco, Neil L. Rudenstine Professor for the Study of Latin America in the Faculty of Divinity and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences; William Hogan, Raymond Plank Professor of Global Energy Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; Howell Jackson, James S. Reid Jr. Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Jerold S. Kayden, Frank Backus Williams Professor of Urban Planning and Design, Graduate School of Design; Jennifer Lerner, professor of public policy, Harvard Kennedy School; Daniel P. Schrag, Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology and Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Sciences; John Macomber, senior lecturer, Harvard Business School; and Lisa Hogarty, vice president, Campus Services (chair), Harvard University.

*In keeping with the University’s fair market rent policy that was established in 1983 by a faculty committee chaired by Professor Archibald Cox, the rents for Harvard University Housing are set at prevailing market rates. The original faculty committee determined that market rate pricing was the fairest method of allocating apartments and that setting rents for Harvard University Housing below market rate would be a form of financial aid, which should be determined by each individual School, not via the rent-setting process.  Additionally, the cost of housing should be considered when financial aid is determined.

For hundreds of students in Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, however, January included more than a few items — like financial-planning seminars, classes about the history and politics of chocolate, and workshops on answering tough questions in job interviews — that fell outside the intersession box.

The events were part of the third annual January @ GSAS, a series of more than 80 classes, seminars, and workshops designed to give students an opportunity for professional development and social interaction, and a chance to explore interests that fall outside their areas of study.

For second-year public health student Allegra Gordon, who took part in the “Chocolate, Culture and the Politics of Food” class, the session was a valuable chance to interact with students she might otherwise never have met.

“It’s very special because I go to school across the river, so I don’t have that many opportunities to come here,” she said. “Here, in this class, I am having conversations with people on topics that are interesting to me, and that are related to what I do, but we are coming at it from so many different perspectives. It’s exciting to me. I wish we could have classes like this throughout the year.

Led by Carla Martin, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of African and African American Studies, the class explored the chocolate-making process, from how and where cacao is grown to how it is made into chocolate, as well as the continuing labor rights abuses associated with the industry.

The sessions also included an opportunity for students to taste-test a variety of the sweet stuff, from traditional candy-store chocolate to artisanal bars made by local chocolatiers.

“There is a dark side to the industry, and the farmers who are growing a lot of the cacao we eat are often in the most fragile position,” said Martin. “That understanding has definitely driven the choices I make. I now mostly eat chocolate that is fair trade, which is today largely associated with high quality.”

The classes also covered a host of professional development topics — from how to write fellowship proposals to how to answer difficult questions during job interviews — while others helped to reinforce students’ research skills, with workshops on quantitative analysis techniques and reference tools.

With as many as 300 students attending, the workshop dubbed “The Impostor Syndrome: How to Feel as Smart and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are” was the largest, and helped students deal with a fear — remarkably common among high-achieving people — that they don’t measure up against their peers.

Another 100 students and postdocs attended a workshop on business applications of the Ph.D. The workshop, which focused on applications in the natural and social sciences, was run by two Harvard alumna, Karen Hladik, Ph.D. ’84, and Mia A.M. de Kuijper, M.P.A. ’83, Ph.D. ’83, who have long track records in the financial industry and in corporate leadership.

Other classes, such as the personal finance session sponsored by the Harvard University Employees Credit Union (HUECU), were focused on giving graduate students the practical skills they would need throughout life.

“My goal is to help you understand what is important to you, and what your approach to money is,” said Thomas Murphy, HUECU’s director of student services. “Understanding that is 90 percent of setting a financial plan.”

In addition to discussions of how to make and stick to a budget, the workshop included information about how to use credit and debit cards, understanding credit scores, and the importance of reviewing credit reports. It also offered students some broad guidelines for investing.

“It may be difficult to do, but these financial plans are really a plan for how to get where you want to be,” Murphy told students. “Living without a budget is like operating a car without a steering wheel. You’ll get someplace, but it’s not going to be where you want to be.”

Students also could attend professional development classes and workshops, including one led by Merce Crosas, director of product development at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS), and former graduate students on how to create and manage online identities.

“One of the first things an employer or collaborator will do when you contact them is Google you,” Crosas said. “You want to make sure that the most relevant information about you shows up in those results.”

For the students who took part in the classes, the January term was a welcome break from their usual routines, as well as a stimulating opportunity to study subjects they might otherwise not have had the time to explore.

“If I wasn’t here, I would be in my office, working,” said Andrew Littlejohn, a first-year Ph.D. candidate studying social anthropology, during a break in the class on chocolate. “I think this is a great opportunity to do something that’s really interesting. It’s a break in one sense, but it isn’t a break where you just veg out in front of the TV. It’s a break where you learn something.”

For more information.

Rob Gogan, associate manager of recycling services in Harvard’s University Operations Services, presented a snapshot of the University’s progress on Thursday at the Geological Lecture Hall. The lecture was the latest in the “Trash Talk” series sponsored by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

For each member of the Harvard community, the University generated 307 pounds of trash and recycled, reused, or otherwise removed from the waste stream another 379 pounds in 2011. Of Harvard’s 14,078 tons of refuse, 25 percent was recycled in 2011, 23 percent was composted, 8 percent was reused or otherwise diverted from the waste stream, and 45 percent was disposed of, most in a landfill in New Hampshire.

Harvard has made significant strides in reducing its waste in the past decade. In 2002, the record recycling rate for any month that year was just 34 percent. The University topped 50 percent in a month for the first time in October 2007. Today, Harvard’s recycling and reuse rate stands at about 55 percent annually. A recent audit, however, shows that there’s considerable room for improvement, which will be necessary if the University is to achieve its goal of zero waste by 2020.

The audit, during which 50 bags of trash collected in Harvard Yard were torn open and inspected, showed 41 percent could have been recycled, another 38 percent could have been composted, and 4 percent could have been reused. Just 18 percent should have been shipped to the landfill according to current policies.

The biggest trend in recycling has been the increase of composting, in which food, landscaping, and other organic waste is gathered, broken down, and trucked to nearby farms to be used as fertilizer, Gogan said. Harvard’s switch in recent years to single-stream recycling has aided the move to composting, Gogan said, by allowing recyclables to be gathered in one barrel instead of two, freeing up room for a composting barrel.

Reuse efforts have also been gaining steam. Harvard hosts several events, such as FAS’s freecycle program, which make serviceable items available to those who need them. Similarly, Harvard Business School hosts a clothing swap.

Local and global nonprofits have benefited from the reuse movement, Gogan said. One nonprofit sends usable materials — including a surprising number of crutches once used by students — to Haiti, unneeded dormitory beds have gone to an orphanage in El Salvador, and computers that would otherwise be recycled are instead donated to an Allston organization that refurbishes them and sells them at low cost to nonprofits.

“We don’t want to waste anything,” Gogan said.

The event, which took place nearly two weeks after the national holiday commemorating King’s birth, included a wreath-laying ceremony and remarks from acting Cambridge Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves and Susan M. Flannery, the city’s director of libraries. Hammonds’ appearance was also part of the John Harvard Book Celebration program, a lecture series that celebrates the University’s 375th anniversary by bringing some of Harvard’s most renowned thinkers to the 34 branches of the Boston and Cambridge public libraries.

Hammonds filled her address, “Teaching About Values: Revisiting King’s Beloved Community,” with examples from her own experience as dean and as a student. She said that undergraduates look to her and to the College administration for guidance when they arrive at Harvard and find themselves in “the most diverse community that they have ever lived in.”

“The freshmen who enter Harvard are increasingly asking us to explain what the College and the University stand for,” she said. “The differences they encounter include differences in socioeconomic background; religion; sexual orientation; culture, race and ethnicity.”

Susan M. Flannery, the city’s director of libraries, also took part in the Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony on Sunday.

Hammonds said that the need to promote the values of the College and to teach students how to live respectfully with people who do not look, think, or act as they do gave her a greater appreciation for King’s thinking on diversity and community.

“The beloved community was for King a ‘… completely integrated society … of love and justice wherein brotherhood would be an actuality in all of social life,’ ” Hammonds said, quoting the scholars of Christian ethics Kenneth L. Smith and Ira G. Zepp Jr. “King was trying to imagine the kind of community he wanted to see America become after segregation was overthrown.”

Although King hoped for a community that transcended all differences — especially those of race — Hammonds said that this vision had evolved over the years since his death. She endorsed the writer bell hooks’ notion of a beloved community “formed not by the eradication of difference, but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and the cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.”

Valuing difference is not easy, Hammonds said, and told a story from her own experience as a student to illustrate the point. One of only three African-American women in a class of more than 200 at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Hammonds was assigned to an engineer who had never worked with a student who was black or female. Though their first interactions were awkward and uncomfortable, Hammonds said the two eventually found a way to connect.

“My enthusiasm about lasers began to match his,” she said. “We recognized that the only thing we had in common was that laser, and we forged a relationship around our desire to understand the properties of solids using lasers. Our common commitment to our work helped transcend our many other differences.”

Hammonds closed by saying that it was the role of educators to ensure that young people have the kind of experiences she had as an engineering student. The act of finding common ground with others from diverse backgrounds and perspectives will make it possible for students to build community and also help them to define their own identities.

“I have a suspicion that their beloved communities won’t look like ours,” she said. “But if we live and explain our values well, I know they will move us even closer to King’s amazing vision.”

The class, held each Wednesday from Feb. 8 to April 18, costs $95 for HUGHP members and Harvard students and $150 for others with valid Harvard ID. The seminar is led by Michelle P. Gallant, registered dietitian. To register, email nutrition@huhs.harvard.edu, or visit the website.

“The mural will bring a human touch to the high-tech hospital environment,” said Newsome. “Cambridge Health Alliance was chosen for this project because it is a community hospital that works with courage and determination to serve the needs of a very varied and underserved population. It is good to give back to those who give.”

Newsome’s group of students created the mural over six months utilizing indigenous clay from local historic brick manufacturer Stiles and Hart Company.  The students incorporated the clay in the center tile for each vignette of the mural, serving as the “heart” of each section of the creation. The mural was installed outside of CHA’s Women’s Health Center for visiting patients and their families to view, as much of the art reflects the diversity of CHA’s patients and the Cambridge community.

“The collaboration of the Office for the Arts Ceramics Studio and Cambridge Health Alliance is a wonderful example of our Community Arts Partners initiative — building bridges between Harvard and host communities through the arts,” said Cathleen McCormick, director of programs at Office for the Arts at Harvard. “We are grateful to instructor Allison Newsome, studio artists, and CHA for making this happen and hope patients enjoy seeing the work, which they can also touch.”

“As a volunteer at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter (HSHS), I feel like I’m doing something with a very tangible impact,” she says. “I’m obviously not solving the problem of homelessness, but I am doing a small part to show compassion and to help provide immediate relief to the guests.”

Tankard is one of more than two dozen Harvard undergraduates who returned to campus early to do service at the only student-run homeless shelter in the country. She and her fellow HSHS volunteers spent at least 25 hours per week during January providing food and short-term lodging for the 25 to 29 guests who visited the shelter each night. Conor Walsh ’12, an administrative director of HSHS, says that Winter Break is an opportunity for many students to help the needy, to see what the shelter does, and to get a better understanding of the problem of homelessness in the Boston area.

“Most of our guests are local to Massachusetts. They spend a lot of time in the square. Many are chronically homeless, which means they’ve stayed with us for three years, off and on,” said Charlie Hobbs '13 (back), an administrative director at HSHS. Together with fellow volunteer Peter Grbac '12 (front), the two visit the shelter's kitchen where two meals are prepared each day for the guests. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer

“Many students have never volunteered with us before,” he says. “We give them an immersive experience and show them how the shelter operates. They learn about issues of homelessness in Harvard Square, get to know the staff and each other very well, and develop new friendships and new partnerships in that way.”

HSHS is a 24-bed facility that operates from Nov. 15 through April 15 in the lower level of the University Lutheran Church at 66 Winthrop St. Guests call in each morning to enter their names into a randomized lottery for any open beds in the shelter. Those that get a slot can stay for up to 14 nights, during which they will also get breakfast, dinner, and snacks, as well as access to showers and toiletries. If temperatures are below freezing or the weather is wet, volunteers will set up five emergency beds to accommodate additional guests on a night-by-night basis.

“We have served 149 unique guests to date this year, and have given out 652 meal slips to guests not staying overnight,” says Charlie Hobbs ’13, also an administrative director at HSHS. “Most of our guests are local to Massachusetts. They spend a lot of time in the square. Many are chronically homeless, which means they’ve stayed with us for three years, off and on.”

The HSHS street team extends the facility’s impact by venturing into Harvard Square to hand out food, blankets, gloves, and socks on cold nights, and to make sure that locals know how to access the shelter’s services. Student volunteers also help guests create résumés and connect them with government support programs such as food stamps and Social Security.

“We try to connect older adults with job training, permanent housing, mental health and social services,” says volunteer director Peter Grbac ’12. “With youth, it’s about entering the job market. We help them to create résumés, and to look at mental health issues in a different way.”

HSHS relies heavily on volunteers from the local community to cover shifts at the shelter during Winter Break, when students are away. Beginning last year, however, the College allowed undergraduates to return to residence early to work at HSHS. Grbac says that the administration’s support has a big impact, both during the break and beyond.

“The College was gracious enough to offer housing to 20-25 students who committed to working at the shelter for at least 25 hours per week,” he says. “Many never volunteered with us before, but based on the response so far, we think a substantial number will stay on during the term. Last year we had 15 volunteers during break. About half continued on with us.”

Charlie Hobbs '13 clears the snow from the shelter's entrance. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer

During Wintersession, Tankard worked two overnight shifts (11 p.m.-9 a.m.), a breakfast shift (6:30-9 a.m.), a dinner shift (6:45-9:15 p.m.), and an evening shift (9-11:15 p.m.). Each slot had different responsibilities: dishwashing, laundry, and monitoring overnight; cooking at breakfast and dinner; clean-up and prepping takeout meals for street teams and for hungry visitors during the evening. Tankard says that the best part of the work was getting to know the guests.

“I love talking with the guests and learning more about their life stories,” she says. “It has been incredibly humbling and prompted a lot of personal reflection. The guests I have interacted with so far are warm and articulate. One in particular, Michael, used to be a chef and has been really sweet to me, giving me tips on how to cook pancakes and gourmet crepes and on what cuts of meat to buy.”

Tankard says that she may well become a regular at HSHS. A member of the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship, she says that the service allows her to put her faith into action.

“I would definitely be interested in continuing to be involved with the shelter during the spring semester if my schedule allows for it,” Tankard says. “It’s a very tangible way to love those people that society often prefers to ignore. I have been very blessed through this experience and have really been learning a lot spiritually.”

Jacqueline Rossi ’12, a member of the Harvard comedy news show “On Harvard Time,” arrived in costume with other performers to dance in the parade. Dressed as “a young Drew Faust,” Rossi said that Danes was an inspirational performer. “Right now, I’m halfway through ‘Homeland,’ ” Rossi said, referring to the 2012 Showtime series starring Danes. “I think it’s great — all my roommates were thrilled to find out that she was the Woman of the Year. She has such a great sense of humor, and we’re happy that she’s here. I hope that she sees Harvard in all its humorous glory.”

Danes with her Pudding Pot, which acknowledges her as Hasty's Woman of the Year. Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer

Tyler Faux ’13, press and publicity manager for Hasty Pudding Theatricals, said that Danes’ wide range of experience influenced the decision to name her as Woman of the Year. “She’s a tremendously diverse actress who’s worked in theater, film, and television, and she’s now won Golden Globes for Best Actress two years in a row,” Faux said. “Not to mention that she’s also so young — she won her first Golden Globe at age 15 [in 1995, for the TV series ‘My So-Called Life’]. She’s a brilliant actress and we’re so glad to have her as the Woman of the Year.”

Led by the Harvard University Band, Harvard cheerleaders, costumed dancers from “On Harvard Time,” and the Hot Tamale Brass Band, the parade also embraced the tradition of Hasty Pudding members dressing in drag. As the entourage posed dramatically before a gaggle of photographers, one distinguished gentleman, who declined to be identified, tilted his head.

“Wait. Are they all men?” he asked, squinting. “Some of them look pretty good!”

Danes toured Harvard Yard with members of the theatrical group Learah Lockhart '12 (back to camera) and Will Ramsey '12 (right). Joining Danes in the tour was her husband, Hugh Dancy. Photo by Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer

Earlier in the day, Danes and her husband, Hugh Dancy, toured Harvard Yard. Danes, who seemed at home on the Harvard campus, blended in as throngs of students rushed to class.

Learah Lockhart ’12 led Danes on a tour of Massachusetts Hall, the Memorial Church, Widener Library, and the John Harvard Statue. After dissuading Danes from rubbing the statue’s shoe, Lockhart went on to describe the Harvard tradition known as “Primal Scream,” in which hundreds of students strip down and run around Harvard Yard on the last night before final exams.

“Wait, a few hundred people, simultaneously naked and running around in the middle of the night?” Danes said, grinning. “Oh, you dirty, naughty people.”

At the end of the parade, Hasty Pudding President James Fitzpatrick ’12 and the vice president of the cast, Ryan Halprin ’12, roasted Danes and presented her with the traditional Pudding Pot.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals named actor and writer Jason Segel as its 2012 Man of the Year. The Man of the Year festivities will be held on Feb. 3. The producers of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Jyotika Banga ’13 and Mary Jane Sakellariadis ’13, will host a celebrity roast for Segel and present him with his Pudding Pot at 8 p.m. in Farkas Hall. A press conference will be held at 8:30 p.m. That evening, the Hasty Pudding also will open its 164th production, “There Will Be Flood.”

“A number of factors may be involved,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid.  “The return of Early Action here and at Princeton and the University of Virginia may have led more students to make their college choices earlier and not apply to as many colleges in Regular Action.  And demographic downturns in the number of high school seniors, particularly in the Northeast (which will continue over the next few years), may also have played a part.  If so, we may experience a period of greater stability and less frenzy in college admissions, a welcome result for everyone,” he said.

As might be expected, there is a great deal of similarity between this year’s and last year’s applicant pools.  One change worth noting, however, is the modest (5 percent) increase in the international pool, compared with a 20 percent increase last year (from 5,006 to 6,014).

“Outreach to international students by American colleges and universities historically has usually produced large annual gains as relatively few international students had ever considered coming to the United States for college,” said Marlyn McGrath, director of admissions.  “Now an American college education is considered a normal option by more international students than in the past,” she added.

“Harvard’s generous financial aid program once again was a critical factor in attracting a large and diverse applicant pool,” said Sarah C. Donahue, director of financial aid. “Over 70 percent of students receive some form of financial aid.” The program requires no contribution from families with annual incomes below $65,000 and asks on average no more than 10 percent of income from families with incomes up to $150,000 and typical assets — and does not require students to take out loans.  The average financial aid recipient’s family pays only $11,500 annually.

Over the next few months, the Admissions Committee will review the applications of those deferred during Early Action as well as those who applied for the Jan. 1 Regular Action program.  Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decisions on March 29.

Admitted students will be invited to Cambridge for Visitas, the undergraduate-named visiting program, which this year will be held from April 21 to 23, the Arts First weekend.  Students will notify Harvard by May 1 of their intention to enroll.

The council next meets on Feb. 15. The faculty next meets on Feb. 7. The preliminary deadline for the March 6 meeting of the faculty is Feb. 21 at noon.

They’re the kind of situations no one at Harvard expects to face, but if such instances of legal or ethical wrongdoing do occur, it’s up to individuals to report what they see. To make it easier for members of the Harvard community to do just that, the University recently adopted its first comprehensive whistleblowing policy. To make that policy more accessible, the University unveiled this week a brief online training program for those who’d like to become more familiar with the guidelines.

The policy, adopted at the start of the 2012 fiscal year, is intended to foster an environment in which people feel free to report possible wrongdoing without fear of retaliation and to create an efficient mechanism to deal with such complaints, according to Marilyn Hausammann, vice president for human resources.

“Members of the Harvard community are encouraged to report suspected violations of law or University policy to their supervisor, to a local tub finance officer, to a local or central human resources officer, or to the Compliance Hotline,” a 24-hour phone line (877.694.2275), or through the website managed by an outside vendor, the policy reads. “The University will protect from retaliation members of the Harvard community who make good-faith reports of suspected violations of law or University policy.” Faculty members and other community members may also report concerns to the local Office of the Dean under the policy.

The policy covers all members of the University community, including faculty, fellows, teaching assistants, staff, students, contractors, volunteers, and official visitors.

“By providing a universal policy and means of redress for the entire community, we’re taking the burden off individuals of having to decide which policy they think is being violated and how they should best address it,” Hausammann said. “This allows someone who suspects wrongdoing to easily and safely report it, and allows those people who are receiving the report to ensure the right review happens.”

All reports of wrongdoing received through the hotline are forwarded to Harvard Risk Management and Audit Services (RMAS), which manages complaints and assigns them to the appropriate department for review. Anyone who has reported a complaint can call the Compliance Hotline for follow-up.

The policy was drafted following a 2009 survey of best corporate practices, according to Gail McDermott, director of RMAS. While universities and other nonprofits are not required by law to maintain a whistleblower policy, it is now considered a best practice.

In its survey of peer institutions, RMAS found that most organizations preferred to use external vendors to run an all-hours complaint hotline, as Harvard has done since 2007.

“External vendors [employ] people who do this day in and day out,” McDermott said. “They know what questions to ask and how to document a complaint so you have the best information possible to manage the request.”

In addition, she said, many people feel safer calling a third party to discuss their concerns. “It provides more of a sense of anonymity,” McDermott said.

“A policy such as this is really just a tool for promoting what Harvard values, which is to have ethical and lawful conduct across the University,” McDermott said. “They’re designed to encourage honest, timely, and safe reporting of anything someone sees that they’re worried about.

“It’s always been the case that Harvard supports [whistleblowers], but having a policy like this makes sure people fully understand that they’ll be protected,” she added.

To educate the Harvard community on their options, the Center for Workplace Development has created a brief Web tutorial on the new policy, which will also be disseminated and discussed in new employee orientation and new manager training sessions.

Whitney is an award-winning producer, director, and writer of documentaries whose features have aired on PBS, HBO, and ABC. In these lectures, she will talk about her passionate interest in religious experience and her equally passionate fascination with peoples’ lives, especially the lives of outsiders. She will use her films to illustrate and delineate these spiritual landscapes, which have come to define and enliven her life in film.

For more information.

Read the full announcement.

“This semester the Shorenstein Center will once again be bursting with brainpower and talent,” said Alex Jones, the center’s director. “Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Suskind has a life’s worth of writerly wisdom to impart; Micah Sifry and Susan Crawford are on the forefront of the digital revolution; Nazila Fathi is a courageous Iranian journalist; David Greenway is one of the nation’s most respected commentators on foreign affairs; and Nina Easton is a star of political reporting.”

Shorenstein Fellows spend the semester researching and writing a paper, and interacting with students and members of the Harvard community.

Read full bios of the new fellows.

The Man of the Year festivities will be held on Feb. 3. The producers of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Jyotika Banga ’13 and Mary Jane Sakellariadis ’13, will host a celebrity roast for Segel and present him with his Pudding Pot at 8 p.m. in the newly named Farkas Hall. A press conference will be held at 8:30 p.m. That evening, the Hasty Pudding also will open its 164th production, “There Will Be Flood.”

Segel’s films have helped to define the changing landscape of American comedy. In 2008, he wrote and starred in the smash hit “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” which grossed more than $100 million worldwide and spawned a sequel, “Get Him to the Greek.” The success of “Marshall” emboldened him to embrace his lifelong passion for puppets and pitch his concept for last year’s film “The Muppets,” which he also co-wrote and starred in. The film has grossed more than $100 million worldwide since it opened on Thanksgiving, landing on numerous critics’ top 10 lists.

Segel got his start on television in the 1999 Emmy-nominated television show “Freaks and Geeks,” produced by Judd Apatow. Segel and Apatow later worked together on the 2007 comedy “Knocked Up,” which won a People’s Choice Award. Segel returned to television in 2005 with “How I Met Your Mother,” now in its seventh season on CBS.

Segel also has starred in “I Love You, Man” and “Bad Teacher,” and has lent his voice to the animated feature “Despicable Me.” He will next be seen in the Duplass Brothers comedy “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” which is scheduled to open in March. He will follow that up with the romantic comedy “The Five-Year Engagement” with Emily Blunt.

The Man and Woman of the Year awards are presented annually to performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to entertainment. Established in 1951, the Woman of the Year award has been granted to such notable entertainers as Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, Elizabeth Taylor, Anne Hathaway, and, most recently, Julianne Moore. The Man of the Year award was established in 1963. Its past recipients include Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Robert de Niro, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, Bruce Willis, Justin Timberlake, and, last year, Jay Leno.

For more information about the upcoming Man of the Year event, contact Tyler Faux, the Hasty Pudding’s press and publicity manager. He can be reached by phone at 646.620.6173 or email at press@hastypudding.org.

Press credentialing is now open for both Woman and Man of the Year events. Please contact Harvard Public Affairs & Communications for information at http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/hasty-pudding-awards-2012/, by phone at 617.495.1585, or by fax at 617.495.0754.

To purchase tickets to the show “There Will Be Flood,” contact the box office at 617.495.5205, or order online at www.hastypudding.org. The show will be performed at Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., until March 4. Performances are Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. The company then travels to New York to perform at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse on March 9 and 10. The tour continues to the Hamilton City Hall in Bermuda for performances March 14 to 16.

The Woman of the Year festivities will begin at 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 26, when Dane will lead a parade through the streets of Cambridge. Afterward, the president of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, James Fitzpatrick ’12, and the vice president of the cast, Ryan Halprin ’12, will host a celebrity roast for the actress. At 5 p.m., Danes will be presented with her Pudding Pot at the newly named Farkas Hall, the Hasty Pudding’s historic home in the heart of Harvard Square since 1889. A press conference will follow the presentation. Afterward, Hasty Pudding cast members will perform several musical numbers from the group’s 164th production, “There Will Be Flood.”

Danes has established herself as one of Hollywood’s leading actresses and currently stars on the Showtime series “Homeland,” for which she received the 2012 Golden Globe Award, her third such honor.

She also won the award for best performance by an actress last year for her role in HBO’s “Temple Grandin” biopic. That performance also earned her an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild award.

Danes first caught critics’ and audiences’ attention when she starred in the television series “My So-Called Life,” which earned her an Emmy nomination as well as a Golden Globe. Subsequently, Danes launched a successful film career, with appearances in “Shopgirl,” “Stage Beauty,” “Igby Goes Down,” and “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet.” She also appeared in the film version of the musical “Les Misérables.”

In 2007, Danes made her Broadway debut, starring in George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion.” Danes is also an accomplished dancer and has received critical acclaim for her performances in “Edith and Jenny” and “Christina Olson: American Model.”

The Man and Woman of the Year awards are presented annually to performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to entertainment. Established in 1951, the Woman of the Year award has been granted to such notable and talented entertainers as Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, Elizabeth Taylor, Anne Hathaway, and, most recently, Julianne Moore. The Man of the Year award was established in 1963. Its past recipients include Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Robert de Niro, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, Bruce Willis, Justin Timberlake, and, last year, Jay Leno.

For more information about the upcoming Woman of the Year event, contact Tyler Faux, the Hasty Pudding’s press and publicity manager. He can be reached by phone at 646.620.6173 or email at press@hastypudding.org.

The group will announce its Man of the Year next week. That presentation will take place Feb. 3. Credentialing will be available next week for both Woman and Man of the Year events. Please contact Harvard Public Affairs & Communications for information at http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/hasty-pudding-awards-2012/, by phone at 617.495.1585, or by fax at 617.495.0754.

To purchase tickets to the show “There Will Be Flood,” contact the box office at 617.495.5205, or order online. The show will be performed at Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., until March 4. Performances are Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. The company then travels to New York to perform at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse on March 9 and 10. The tour continues to the Hamilton City Hall in Bermuda for performances March 14 to 16.

Michael J. Hopkins, professor of mathematics, is the recipient of the NAS Award in Mathematics. Hopkins is being honored for his research in algebraic topology, a field that studies algebraic invariants of the shape of continuous subsets in higher dimensional space. Hopkins has established important connections between algebraic topology and other areas of mathematics, and has contributed to the solution of a long-standing problem on the Kervaire invariant. Established by the American Mathematical Society in commemoration of its centennial, the award consists of a $5,000 prize for excellence of research in the mathematical sciences published within the past 10 years.

Andrew H. Knoll, Fisher Professor of Natural History in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, is the recipient of the Mary Clark Thompson Medal. Knoll is being recognized for his unparalleled contributions relating Precambrian life to Earth’s physical and chemical history and for innovative contributions on the paleophysiology and evolution of algae and angiosperms. Established in 1919, the Mary Clark Thompson Medal honors important services to geology and paleontology and is presented with a $15,000 prize.

Jonathan B. Losos, the Monique and Philip Lehner Professor for the Study of Latin America and curator of herpetology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, is the recipient of the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal. Losos is recognized for his novel and penetrating evolutionary studies of adaptive radiation in vertebrates, notably his comprehensive study of Anolis lizards in tropical America, as summarized in his recent book, “Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree: Ecology and Adaptive Radiation of Anoles.” Established by a gift from Margaret Henderson Elliot in 1917, the Elliot Medal recognizes “a most meritorious, recently published work in zoology or paleontology.”  The medal is given every four years and carries an award of $15,000.

Jason P. Mitchell, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences in the Department of Psychology, will receive the Troland Research Award. Mitchell is being recognized for his insightful use of neuroimaging and behavioral methods to enrich our understanding of how people infer the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of others. This $50,000 research award is given annually to recognize unusual achievement by young investigators and to further empirical research within the broad spectrum of experimental psychology.

But when Winter Break came around, Best decided to go home to Arizona and do something really difficult for most Harvard College students: slow down.

“When I got back from school, I did a lot of sleeping and lounging around,” Best said. “I was so busy during the semester — working at least 40 hours a week at three different jobs on top of being a full-time student — that it felt unbelievably good to do nothing. Since then, I’ve been reading fun books rather than textbooks, baking, and going on rides out in the desert with family.”

College officials applaud students like Best, who choose to spend Winter Break away from campus, where they can recharge and reconnect with loved ones. The officials say that the “nothing” that undergraduates often think they’re doing — sleeping, eating well, having fun, and tending to relationships — is actually vital for academic success, and for physical and mental health.

“The academic year at Harvard is rigorous,” said Suzy Nelson, the College’s dean of student life. “When a student comes, they dedicate their mind, body, and spirit to learning. We see how many activities that our undergraduates are involved in. It’s exhilarating, but it can also be exhausting. All people, if they’re thinking about staying well and healthy, need to take a break.”

Paul Barreira, director of behavioral health and academic counseling at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, said he and his colleagues at Harvard University Health Services supported the adoption in 2009 of a new academic calendar, in part because it gave students substantial time off between semesters. He said the old calendar left undergraduates barely a moment to catch their breath.

“With the old schedule, classes would end before the holidays, but students still had lab reports and papers to work on, then two weeks of exams,” he explained. “Maybe you got a few days off for intersession, but there was no meaningful break. Now students finish the work, go home, and have four weeks with no pressure. They can do the things that they enjoy.”

Like many of her classmates, Best enjoys spending Winter Break off campus, resting and reconnecting with family and friends back home. Other undergraduates use the time for research or to gain career experience in ways that wouldn’t be possible during the academic term. Antonio Sweet ’13, an engineering sciences concentrator, returned home to Los Angeles so he could explore his interest in energy and infrastructure through an internship at one of the state’s public utility companies.

“I’m working for Sempra in their downtown offices,” Sweet said. “I look for and evaluate suppliers owned and operated by minorities, women, and/or disabled veterans in order to give them an equal opportunity to bid for contracts with Sempra. I’m learning a lot about the real world application of my studies, and getting my foot in the door with a company I really want to work for this summer.”

Sweet said that because Sempra’s offices are close to home, he also has time for trips to the beach, for all-you-can-eat barbecue in Koreatown, and for playing with his newborn niece. Barreira said students like Sweet often find that Winter Break gives them a chance to do something different.

“We’re giving them a month,” Barreira said. “We hope they spend much of that time visiting family, free from pressure. But if there are other things that pique their curiosity, then go do it. There are no requirements. It’s different than being here for reading week and to finish up course work.”

Best and Sweet both say that the time they spend off campus will pay dividends when they return. Sweet knows that some of his classmates will come back early for Wintersession (Jan. 13-22), and he’s impressed by the programs and activities that will be offered during that period. He has chosen to stay in Los Angeles, however, because the job experience at Sempra will make his summer planning much less stressful.

“While many of my friends are doing on-campus activities that seem like a lot of fun, I know I’ll be able to have a great time with them during the semester,” he said. “Right now, I enjoy being with my family and friends while doing meaningful projects for a great company that I hope makes me a better job candidate in the future.”

Best admitted that she’s getting a bit antsy in Morenci, the small Arizona mining town that is home, but said that time away from Harvard increases her appreciation for her College experience. It also makes her eager for the semester’s start.

“I live in a small, sheltered community, and I never thought I would have the opportunities in life that I have now,” she said. “Being home takes me to a home within myself, where I can remember why I enrolled at Harvard in the first place and what my goals in life truly are. It helps me to remember my values and my experiences a little better, and to appreciate the amazing experiences I do have at Harvard more after realizing how truly rare and incredible they can be.”

During his more than five-decade career, Haar influenced urban policy and planning throughout the country, drafted key legislation for inner-city revitalization, developed influential legal theories to support equality of services for urban dwellers and access to suburbs, helped pioneer the modern environmental movement, and mentored a generation of scholars and activists.

“Charles Haar was a genuine pioneer who created new ways of making scholarship relevant to the improvement of the human condition through the improvement of the environment,” observed Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow. “He was a visionary leader in the field of land-use law and urban planning with a focus on improving the lives of all Americans, regardless of race or economic status. His legacy includes major tenets of the modern-day environmental movement and the way we teach and study environmental law. It also includes the generations of students to whom he was a mentor and friend, and the contributions they made after learning from him. He will be deeply missed.”

Read the full obituary.

Ballots will be mailed no later than April 1 and must be received back in Cambridge by noon on May 18 to be counted. Results of the election will be announced at the HAA’s annual meeting on May 24, on the afternoon of Commencement day.  All holders of Harvard degrees, except Corporation members and officers of instruction and government, are entitled to vote for Overseer candidates. The election for HAA directors is open to all Harvard degree holders.

Candidates for Overseer may also be nominated by petition, that is, by obtaining a prescribed number of signatures from eligible degree holders. The deadline for all petitions is Feb. 1.

The HAA’s nominating committee has proposed the following candidates in 2012:

For Overseer

Scott A. Abell ’72
Retired Chair & CEO, Abell & Associates Inc.
Boston

James E. Johnson ’83, J.D. ’86
Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Montclair, N.J.

Michael M. Lynton ’82, M.B.A. ’87
Chairman & CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Los Angeles

Tracy P. Palandjian ’93, M.B.A. ’97
CEO & Co-Founder, Social Finance Inc.
Belmont, Mass.

Swati A. Piramal, M.P.H. ’70
Director, Piramal Healthcare Ltd.
Mumbai, India

Stephen R. Quazzo ’82, M.B.A. ’86
CEO & Co-Founder, Pearlmark Real Estate Partners
Chicago

William H. Rastetter, A.M. ’72, Ph.D. ’75
Partner, Venrock
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Kathryn A. Taylor ’80
Co-Chair, One PacificCoast Bank, Co-Chair, Board of Directors
San Francisco

For Elected Director

John F. Bowman ’80, M.B.A. ’85
Executive Producer, Disney Company
Santa Monica, Calif.

Yvonne E. Campos, J.D. ’88
Superior Court Judge, State of California
San Diego, Calif.

John H. Jackson, Ed.M. ’98, Ed.D. ’01
President & CEO, Schott Foundation for Public Education
Cambridge, Mass.

Michael T. Kerr ’81, M.B.A. ’85
Portfolio Counselor & Senior Vice President, Capital Research Company
Canyon Country, Calif.

Sabrina Lam ’93
Executive Director, Trinity
Hong Kong

Susanna Shore Le Boutillier ’86
Director, Corporate Communications, Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Larchmont, N.Y.

E. Scott Mead ’77
Fine Art Photographer and Financial Adviser
London

Brian Melendez ’86, J.D. ’90, M.T.S. ’91
Partner, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP
Minneapolis, Minn.

Loulan J. Pitre Jr. ’83, J.D. ’86
Attorney, Gordon, Arata, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan LLC
New Orleans

“We are looking forward to welcoming our spring 2012 fellows to Harvard,” said IOP Director Trey Grayson. “Their public service experience throughout local, state, and federal government and in journalism and international politics should create strong interest among students, faculty, and the entire University community.”

To view a list of the fellows, visit http://bit.ly/xWXj2N.

A pioneer in the synthesis of a wide range of nanoscale materials, the characterization of the unique physical properties of those materials, and the development of hierarchical assembly methods for nanoscale wires, Lieber has demonstrated the use of nanoscale materials in nanoelectronics, nanocomputing, biological and chemical sensing, neurobiology, and nanophotonics.

Awarded by the Wolf Foundation, the prize has been given annually to six recipients in recognition of their contributions to agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, and physics. The prize is also awarded for contributions to the arts.

Laureates receive their awards from the president of Israel in a special ceremony held at the Knesset Building in Jerusalem.

“Harvard has a rich tradition of global engagement,” said Faust. “And the intellectual and cultural activities of our students and faculty across the globe will continue to grow as we head deeper into the 21st century.

“Professor Palepu brings a global background and perspective to his research and teaching at the Business School, and he played a key role in the work of the University-wide International Strategy Working Group convened last year to consider how to strengthen Harvard’s international approach at the institutional level,” Faust added. “I am delighted that Professor Palepu has agreed to bring his insight, energy, and experience to this new role. He will be a critical contributor to the ongoing development of our global strategy.”

“I am honored to be asked to serve the University in this important domain,” said Palepu. “Harvard has among the world’s strongest platforms for global teaching and research, built on deep regional and domain knowledge and the entrepreneurial energy of our faculty, students, and staff. I look forward to working with President Faust to craft a more coordinated and strategic approach to Harvard’s international engagement, supporting the expertise and ambition of our community.”

A leading expert on global business strategy, Palepu has taught at HBS for almost three decades. With colleague Tarun Khanna, Palepu recently co-authored “Winning in Emerging Markets: A Road Map for Strategy and Execution,” which explores the strategic issues facing multinational corporations as they expand into emerging markets, as well as the challenges that firms in those markets face as they expand overseas. Palepu teaches related courses in the M.B.A. and executive education programs.

“Krishna has been one of the Business School’s most sophisticated, eloquent, and persuasive voices for a thoughtful strategy of global engagement,” said Dean Nitin Nohria. “He has substantively reshaped how we think about leadership in a global century, with tremendous benefit for how we do research, how we teach, and how we learn. I know the entire Harvard community will benefit from Krishna’s vision and hard work.”

As senior adviser, Palepu will work closely with the president, provost, and colleagues to help guide the University’s international strategy, refine and test some operational proposals of the International Strategy Working Group, and develop a more effective and coordinated approach to international fundraising and to engaging Harvard alumni living abroad. Palepu will consult widely with colleagues within the University and in the broader Harvard community as he undertakes this role.

In framing the University’s strategic agenda in international matters, Palepu will work closely with Jorge Domínguez, the vice provost for international affairs.

“I am delighted that Harvard has, with this appointment, underscored its commitment to global engagement,” said Domínguez. “Krishna and I have worked together for a number of years on the University Committee on International Projects and Sites, and I can think of no one better suited to this new role. I look forward to deepening our partnership as Krishna focuses his efforts on strategic initiatives.”

Palepu joined the HBS faculty in 1983. He received his doctorate in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holds a master’s degree in physics from Andhra University in India, and has done postgraduate work at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. Palepu has an honorary doctorate from the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration.

Ward joined the faculty of Harvard in 1955. Each undergraduate music concentrator took his chronological survey, while every graduate student in musicology took Music 200, which met once a week. Ward’s research interests were wide-ranging.  Initially a specialist in Renaissance music, Elizabethan music in general, and English popular and folk music from the 16th century to the present day, he eventually taught courses in film music and music in ritual. After he became increasingly involved with ethnomusicology, he taught several groundbreaking classes in the field. Materials related to this field were scarce in Harvard’s libraries, so he founded the Archive of World Music, which began with recordings from his collection. He also established the Charles Seeger Room, which contains all the ethnomusicological volumes in the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library.

After Ward retired from Harvard, his long-standing fascination with opera, ballet, operetta, vaudeville, and social dance led him to form extensive new collections. He donated what he had gathered to the Harvard Theatre Collection of Houghton Library.

Predeceased by his wife, Ruth Neils Ward, Ward is survived by his sister-in-law, Margaret Padelford, of Seattle, 11 nieces and nephews, and countless friends.

Choi is founder of Beyond the Cardboard, an organization aimed at helping the homeless in two ways: by giving them a voice and by providing them tangible resources to overcome homelessness. Read her winning essay.

Mhlanga is founder of Lead Us Today, a non-profit organization in Zimbabwe whose mission is to inspire, mobilize, and empower young people to work together beyond socioeconomic barriers so that they can lead community development efforts. Read his winning essay.

Harvard President Drew Faust, a Civil War scholar and National Book Award finalist, will officially launch the program on Jan. 10 with a lecture at the Main Library in Cambridge.  She will also deliver a lecture at the Boston Public Library’s Central Library in Copley Square on April 10.

“Harvard has been an outstanding community partner for 375 years, and I am so pleased that the University has chosen to include the entire Boston community in its anniversary celebration,” Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. “This lecture series is an incredible opportunity for residents and families all across Boston to interact with some of the world’s brightest minds at their own neighborhood library.”

Harvard faculty members will discuss topics ranging from why violence has declined, to theater in the 21st century at branch libraries in the two cities. Speakers will include some of Harvard’s most prominent faculty, including Steven Pinker, one of the world’s leading authorities on language and the mind; Diane Paulus, critically acclaimed artistic director of the American Repertory Theater and a Tony Award winner; and Maria Tatar, a German cultural studies scholar who unlocks the secrets of children’s literature and folklore.

The University also will donate 400 new books to the two cities’ library systems.

“Harvard was named in honor of John Harvard’s gift of 400 books,” said Faust, “and as the custodian of the largest academic library in the world, we see this series as a celebration of the book, of the power of the libraries, and of our shared 375-year history with Boston and Cambridge.”

Harvard staff, faculty, and students also will take part in library activities aimed at children and youths, including story hours, college readiness discussions, and other events.

“This is part of an ongoing partnership between the Cambridge Public Library and Harvard that has deep roots in history and benefits so many residents,” said Susan Flannery, Cambridge’s director of libraries. “We are delighted to be partnering with Harvard again on a program that brings Harvard’s thinkers beyond campus to the community.”

“This lecture series is an incredible opportunity for residents and families all across Boston to interact with some of the world’s brightest minds at their own neighborhood library,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer

“All of us at the Boston Public Library are proud to be part of Harvard’s 375th birthday celebration,” said Amy E. Ryan, president of the Boston Public Library. “Not only is Harvard our valued neighbor, it is a true partner in serving as a community gathering place and center of knowledge for readers, researchers, and learners of all kinds.”

Faust’s lecture at the Cambridge library is titled “Telling War Stories: Reflections of a Civil War Historian.” She will also discuss her most recent book, “This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War,” which was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

“We are always seeking ways to share our strengths with our Cambridge and Boston neighbors, and how better to do that than by bringing Harvard thinkers to our local libraries,” said Christine Heenan, vice president of Harvard Public Affairs & Communications.

For more information on the series, including the names of the faculty speakers, the lecture dates, the locations, and the activities, visit http://375.harvard.edu/john-harvard-book-celebration.

Since 1982, when Wheeler directed his first production — Sam Shepard’s “True West” — at the A.R.T., he created more than 20 productions, including most memorably his productions of Shaw and Pinter, including “Misalliance” and “Man and Superman,” “The Homecoming,” “The Caretaker,” and most recently “No Man’s Land,” which featured his son Lewis Wheeler, and his longtime collaborator, the also recently departed Paul Benedict.

A.R.T. Founding Director Robert Brustein said, “As director of the Theatre Company of Boston, David Wheeler was one of the founding fathers of postwar American theater and his influence on the American Repertory Theater has been incalculable. He was a particular master of American and English contemporary plays to which he added his customary humanity and humor. He will be sorely missed.”

A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus concurred: “It was with great sadness that we learned of David Wheeler’s passing. He was a wonderful and visionary director who helped shape many seasons at the American Repertory Theater and in Boston’s theater community. As a teacher here at Harvard, he mentored hundreds of students. Most importantly he was a friend to all of us at the theater.”

The A.R.T. planned to honor Wheeler with the annual Robert Brustein Award at its gala on Feb. 13, and intends to present it posthumously to his family at a separate memorial event to be held at the Loeb Drama Center. The date will be announced shortly.