Harvard Department of Mathematics

06/02/2026

This past May, we hosted the first Modernizing Undergraduate Math Summit. Convened by TPSE Math with support from COMAP, Inc., American Mathematical Society, The American Statistical Association, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Association of America, and American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, it brought together leaders from across the mathematical and statistical sciences community to focus on a shared challenge: how mathematics and statistics courses at two-year and four-year institutions need to evolve for a world shaped by ubiquitous data, AI, powerful computational tools, modeling, and increasingly interdisciplinary work.

A clear theme ran throughout the summit: the field is not starting from scratch. Strong course and program models already exist, but too often they remain isolated or difficult for others to find, adapt, and scale.

Over the three days, participants worked on a set of shared draft principles for Modernizing Undergraduate Math, discussed model projects that can help show what change looks like in practice, and identified ways to build the communication, evidence, and implementation infrastructure needed for broader adoption.

The work ahead is to turn shared agreement into coordinated action. We can't wait to see where this work goes as it unfolds!

05/28/2026

We celebrate our 2026 graduating Ph.D. students and their accomplishments, and look forward to seeing them reach new heights in their mathematical journeys!

From left to right:

Melanie Matchett Wood | William Caspar Graustein Professor of Mathematics and Director of Graduate Studies

Katia Bogdanova | Ph.D. graduate, dissertation title "Whittaker Coefficients in Quantum Geometric Langlands Program"

Natalie Stewart | Ph.D. graduate, dissertation title "Equivariant Higher Algebra"

Joe Harris | Higgins Professor of Mathematics and Department Chair

Yu (Leon) Liu | Ph.D. graduate, dissertation title "En-algebras in m-categories"

Xinle (Clair) Dai | Ph.D. graduate, dissertation title "Sectorial Decompositions of Symmetric Products of Surfaces and Homological Mirror Symmetry"

Taeuk Nam | Ph.D. graduate, dissertation title "Towards a Tamely Ramified Geometric Langlands Correspondence"

Eunice Sukarto | Ph.D. graduate, dissertation title "Power Operations Modulo Lubin-Tate Parameters Geometry"

Alice Lin | Ph.D. graduate, dissertation title "Finiteness of Heights in Isogeny Classes of Motives"

Marjorie Bell | Graduate Program Administrator

Denis Auroux | Herchel Smith Professor of Mathematics Harvard College Professor

05/27/2026

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2026 mathematicians! We celebrate your achievements and look forward to seeing you reach your goals and leave your mark on the world!

05/26/2026

Don't miss the latest issue of our annual newsletter featuring news, updates, faculty and student profiles, honors and awards, and more!

Read the full issue at https://www.math.harvard.edu/about/department-newsletter/harvard-math-newsletter-2025-2026/

05/21/2026

Congratulations to the Harvard Department of Mathematics undergraduate prize and award recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year!

Congratulations to the Harvard Department of Mathematics undergraduate prize and award recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year!

05/12/2026

This month, we're proud to host leaders from mathematics, higher education, industry, and partner organizations dedicated to developing a shared vision and roadmap for undergraduate math in the AI and data era!

This month, TPSE Math is convening leaders from across the mathematical sciences, higher education, industry, and partner organizations for the 2026 Modernizing Undergraduate Math Summit.

The summit will focus on how undergraduate mathematics can better prepare students for an AI-infused, data-rich, and rapidly changing world. Participants will explore principles for modern undergraduate math, scalable course innovations, flexible pathways, quantitative reasoning, and strategies for coordinated national implementation.

Special thanks to Harvard University, Harvard Department of Mathematics, for hosting.

This is an invite-only working summit, but the work is intended to extend well beyond the room.

Follow TPSE Math for summit updates, outcomes, and future opportunities to engage.

05/08/2026

We are pleased to bring you this documentary exploring the depth and creativity of the Harvard Department of Mathematics, one of the world's leading departments for research and education in pure mathematics.

This documentary explores the depth and creativity of the Harvard Department of Mathematics, one of the world's leading departments for research and educatio...

05/01/2026

Classes are over and reading period has begun, but don't forget to take a break and smell the spring flowers! It's a perfect day to crack open a book underneath a flowering tree.

04/22/2026

Congratulations to Harvard math Ph.D. graduate Yunqing Tang, currently an associate professor at University of California, Berkeley, for receiving the 2026 New Horizons in Mathematics Prize!

Harvard math PhD graduate Yunqing Tang receives the 2026 New Horizons in Mathematics Prize awarded by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.

04/08/2026

From evolutionary biology to physics, mathematics to genomics, major unanswered questions keep even the most advanced researchers up at night. For math professor Melanie Matchett Wood, that question is: "How are prime numbers distributed among integers?"

We asked some of Harvard’s leading thinkers to tell us what they still don’t know, and what the answers could mean for humanity.