New Harvard College Professors announced – Harvard – Harvard Gazette
Five faculty members were recently named Harvard College Professors, with their terms beginning July 1. Claudine Gay, Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, announced the honors.
Harvard College Professors are recognized for their contributions to undergraduate teaching and a positive influence on the culture of teaching at the University. The professorships are five-year appointments that include support for research and a semester of paid leave or summer salary. The program was created through a gift from John and Frances Loeb and launched in 1997.
The group includes:
Andrew Murray
Herchel Smith Professor of Molecular Genetics, professor of molecular and cellular biology, and director of the John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program
Murray’s lab research focuses on the “rules of the game” explaining cell function and evolution using experimental evolution, genetic analysis, synthetic biology, and cell biology to study budding yeast. His recent courses include the full-year introductory “Integrated Science” course aimed at undergraduates and the graduate-level course “Regulation of Mitosis.”
Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature in the Department of English
Deidre Lynch’s research interests include British literature and culture from the 18th century and Romantic period, the Gothic and Enlightenment periods, and the theory and history of the novel, the book, reading, and English studies. Lynch recently taught the English courses “When Novels Were New” and “‘It Is and Is Not a Novel’: Narrative Fiction before the Nineteenth Century.” Lynch was also a member of the teaching team for the fall section of the first-year undergraduate course “A Humanities Colloquium: From Homer to Valera Luiselli” (HUM 10).
Professor of psychology and director of the Affective Neuroscience and Development Laboratory
In the Affective Neuroscience and Development Laboratory, Somerville directs research on adolescent brain development — specifically psychological changes in cognitive, motivational, social, and emotional behavior — using psychological and neuroscientific approaches. This year, Somerville taught a research-based course in the lab for undergraduate and graduate students and co-taught a graduate-level course in psychology special topics.
Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science and co-director of undergraduate studies in CS at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Chong’s research focuses on programming languages and security. In 2020-21 he taught two courses on programming languages and security and oversaw independent student research in advanced topics in computer science. Chong is also a faculty dean of Winthrop House.
Teresa G. and Ferdinand F. Martignetti Professor of Philosophy
In his research, Kelly focuses on many different aspects of the philosophical, phenomenological, and cognitive neuroscientific nature of human experience. He recently taught as part of the faculty team “A Humanities Colloquium: From James Joyce to Homer” (HUM 10). He also co-taught the graduate seminar “Philosophy, History, Genealogy,” and taught the undergraduate course “Existentialism in Literature and Film.” Kelly is also a faculty dean of Dunster House.