harvard university dissertation

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How can I find a Harvard thesis or dissertation?

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Start with  HOLLIS  (HarvardKey login required for some full text, including theses & dissertations)

• Those presented for graduate degrees 
• Bowdoin prize essays 
• Undergraduate honors theses

How do you know if it's available online? 

• “View Online” button links out to full text.
• If there's no "View Online" button, the work probably has not been digitized.

What Harvard theses and dissertations can you expect to find online in full text? How do you get to them?

• Follow the links in HOLLIS.
• Not a Harvard affiliate? log in through the library of your academic institution OR
• you can usually purchase directly from  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Express.  
• undergraduates are not required to submit theses or prizewinning papers to DASH
• Harvard Extension School ALM theses 2012-2016 were not entered into DASH. 
• Under certain circumstances dissertations may be embargoed by the author; DASH may be the only place this information is given.

If the work hasn't been digitized:

You can order PDFs or photocopies of most Harvard theses and dissertations (unless they're available through the Proquest database linked above) from 1873 through November 2011 (and ALM theses to 2016) 

• See our Reproduction Requests page to register
• When you submit the online order form, Imaging Services staff will reply with cost and delivery information.
• Questions about the online ordering process or pricing? Contact Imaging Services staff directly for additional information at 617/495-3995  or [email protected] (M-F, 9-5 Eastern) ​

For Extension School ALM theses  check out our  Library Guide for Harvard Extension School theses page

Want to view a dissertation or thesis at the library? Check with the archival collection location listed in HOLLIS.

Wondering what dissertations and theses have been submitted in the recent past?  Use DASH .

For more on undergraduate theses and dissertations, see our " How can I locate a Harvard undergraduate thesis?" FAQ.

Looking for non-Harvard theses & dissertations? See our "How can I find theses and dissertations?"  FAQ.

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Harvard Library Virtual Reference Policy Statement

Our chat reference and Research Appointment Request services are intended for Harvard affiliates. All others are welcome to submit questions using the form on this page.

We are happy to answer questions from all Harvard affiliates and from non-affiliates inquiring about the library's collections.

Unfortunately, we're unable to answer questions from the general public which are not directly related to Harvard Library services and collections.

Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

HLS Dissertations, Theses, and JD Papers

S.j.d. dissertations, ll.m. papers, ll.m. theses, j.d. papers, submitting your paper to an online collection, other sources for student papers beyond harvard, getting help, introduction.

This is a guide to finding Harvard Law School (“HLS”) student-authored works held by the Library and in online collections. This guide covers HLS S.J.D Dissertations, LL.M. papers, J.D. third-year papers, seminar papers, and prize papers.

There have been changes in the HLS degree requirements for written work. The library’s collection practices and catalog descriptions for these works has varied. Please note that there are gaps in the library’s collection and for J.D. papers, few of these works are being collected any longer.

If we have an S.J.D. dissertation or LL.M. thesis, we have two copies. One is kept in the general collection and one in the Red Set, an archival collection of works authored by HLS affiliates. If we have a J.D. paper, we have only one copy, kept in the Red Set. Red Set copies are last resort copies available only by advance appointment in Historical and Special Collections .

Some papers have not been processed by library staff. If HOLLIS indicates a paper is “ordered-received” please use this form to have library processing completed.

The HLS Doctor of Juridical Science (“S.J.D.”) program began in 1910.  The library collection of these works is not comprehensive. Exceptions are usually due to scholars’ requests to withhold Library deposit. 

• HLS S.J.D. Dissertations in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic or faculty advisor, or limit by date, click Add a New Line.
• Hein’s Legal Theses and Dissertations Microfiche Mic K556.H45x Drawers 947-949 This microfiche set includes legal theses and dissertations from HLS and other premier law schools. It currently includes about 300 HLS dissertations and theses.
• Hein's Legal Theses and Dissertations Contents List This content list is in order by school only, not by date, subject or author. It references microfiche numbers within the set housed in the Microforms room on the entry level of the library, drawers 947-949. The fiche are a different color for each institution.
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses @ Harvard University (Harvard login) Copy this search syntax: dg(S.J.D.) You will find about 130 SJD Dissertations dated from 1972 to 2004. They are not available in full text.
• DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, DASH is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. There are currently about 600 HLS student papers included. Unfortunately it is not possible to search by type of paper or degree awarded.

The Master of Laws (“LL.M.”) degree has been awarded since 1923. Originally, the degree required completion of a major research paper, akin to a thesis. Since 1993, most students have the option of writing the LL.M. "short paper."  This is a 25-page (or longer) paper advised by a faculty supervisor or completed in conjunction with a seminar.  Fewer LL.M. candidates continue to write the more extensive "long-paper." LL.M. candidates holding J.D.s from the U.S. must write the long paper.

• HLS Written Work Requirements for LL.M. Degree The current explanation of the LL.M. written work requirement for the master of laws.

The library generally holds HLS LL.M. long papers and short papers. In recent years, we require author release in order to do so. In HOLLIS, no distinction is made between types of written work created in satisfaction of the LL.M. degree; all are described as LL.M. thesis. Though we describe them as thesis, the law school refers to them solely as papers or in earlier years, essays. HOLLIS records indicate the number of pages, so at the record level, it is possible to distinguish long papers.

• HLS LL.M. Papers in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

HLS LL.M. Papers are sometimes available in DASH and Hein's Legal Dissertations and Theses. See descriptions above .

The HLS J.D. written work requirement has changed over time. The degree formerly required a substantial research paper comparable in scope to a law review article written under faculty supervision, the "third year paper." Since 2008, J.D. students have the option of using two shorter works instead.

Of all those written, the library holds relatively few third-year papers. They were not actively collected but accepted by submission from faculty advisors who deemed a paper worthy of institutional retention. The papers are described in HOLLIS as third year papers, seminar papers, and student papers. Sometimes this distinction was valid, but not always. The faculty deposit tradition more or less ended in 2006, though the possibility of deposit still exists. 

• J.D. Written Work Requirement
• Faculty Deposit of Student Papers with the Library

HLS Third Year Papers in HOLLIS

To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

• HLS Student Papers Some third-year papers and LL.M. papers were described in HOLLIS simply as student papers. To refine these search results, click "Add a New Line" and add topic, faculty advisor, or course title.
• HLS Seminar Papers Note that these include legal research pathfinders produced for the Advanced Legal Research course when taught by Virginia Wise.

Prize Papers

HLS has many endowed prizes for student papers and essays. There are currently 16 different writing prizes. See this complete descriptive list with links to lists of winners from 2009 to present. Note that there is not always a winner each year for each award. Prize winners are announced each year in the commencement pamphlet.

The Library has not specifically collected prize papers over the years but has added copies when possible. The HOLLIS record for the paper will usually indicate its status as a prize paper. The most recent prize paper was added to the collection in 2006.

Addison Brown Prize Animal Law & Policy Program Writing Prize Victor Brudney Prize Davis Polk Legal Profession Paper Prize Roger Fisher and Frank E.A. Sander Prize Yong K. Kim ’95 Memorial Prize Islamic Legal Studies Program Prize on Islamic Law Laylin Prize LGBTQ Writing Prize Mancini Prize Irving Oberman Memorial Awards John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics Project on the Foundations of Private Law Prize Sidney I. Roberts Prize Fund Klemens von Klemperer Prize Stephen L. Werner Prize

• Harvard Law School Prize Essays (1850-1868) A historical collection of handwritten prize essays covering the range of topics covered at that time. See this finding aid for a collection description.

The following information about online repositories is not a recommendation or endorsement to participate.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses HLS is not an institutional participant to this collection. If you are interested in submitting your work, refer to these instructions and note that there is a fee required, which varies depending on the format of submission.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations Relatively new, this is an open repository of metadata for dissertations. It is an outgrowth of the index American Doctoral Dissertations. The aim is to cover 1933 to present and, for modern works, to link to full text available in institutional repositories. Harvard is not one of the institutional participants.
• DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard

Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, this is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. See more information about the project. 

Some HLS students have submitted their degree paper to DASH.  If you would like to submit your paper, you may use this authorization form  or contact June Casey , Librarian for Open Access Initiatives and Scholarly Communication at Harvard Law School.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (Harvard Login) Covers dissertations and masters' theses from North American graduate schools and many worldwide. Provides full text for many since the 1990s and has descriptive data for older works.
• NDLTD Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations Union Catalog Worldwide in scope, NDLTD contains millions of records of electronic theses and dissertations from the early 1900s to the present.
• Law Commons of the Digital Commons Network The Law Commons has dissertations and theses, as well as many other types of scholarly research such as book chapters and conference proceedings. They aim to collect free, full-text scholarly work from hundreds of academic institutions worldwide.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations Doctoral dissertations from many institutions. Free, open repository.
• Dissertations from Center for Research Libraries Dissertations found in this resource are available to the Harvard University Community through Interlibrary Loan.
• British Library EThOS Dissertation source from the British Library listing doctoral theses awarded in the UK. Some available for immediate download and some others may be requested for scanning.
• BASE from Bielefeld University Library Index of the open repositoris of most academic institutions. Includes many types of documents including doctoral and masters theses.

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• Last Updated: Sep 12, 2023 10:46 AM
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Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

Dissertation

The Graduate Student Dissertation

A student is required to demonstrate ability to perform original research in political science by writing a dissertation that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field. The requirement may also be fulfilled in the form of a three-article dissertation by approval of the dissertation committee.

Dissertations must be approved by three committee members, two of whom must be faculty members of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The chair must be a member of the Department of Government. Any member of the committee who is not a member of the department must be approved by the dissertation chair. Dissertations must be approved for defense by the committee. The final copies of the dissertation must conform to the requirements described online in  The Form of the PhD Dissertation .

Special Examination

After the dissertation has been approved, and after all other degree requirements have been met, a student will take the “special” oral examination, or defense. This examination is focused on the dissertation and on the relevant special field, which is ordinarily one of the fields that the student presented in the general examination, or an approved portion of that field.

Students who defend their dissertation later than six years after taking the general examination must re-take the focus field of the general examination. Approved parental leave extends this period by one year per child, but no other reason for leave does.

Depositing Dissertation Data

Students are required to make available to the  Harvard-MIT Data Center  all of the quantitative data they have compiled in machine-readable form (together with accompanying explanatory materials) upon which the findings in their dissertation depend. These data will be made available to other users five years after receipt of PhD or sooner, if the PhD recipient permits.

Ten-Year Enrollment Cap

An overall Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) policy has been established that students ordinarily will not be permitted to register beyond their tenth year in the Graduate School. However, exceptions to this rule may be made for students who have taken medical or parental leave or for students with other special circumstances. However, according to GSAS policy, the number of G8s and above may impact the number of offers made during admissions. Students who are administratively withdrawn are free to apply for readmission to GSAS, so as to re-register for the purpose of receiving the degree, when their dissertation is completed.

Dissertation Formatting Guidance

The following resource shares some best practice guidance for dissertation formatting. 

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The following resource shares some best practice guidance for dissertation formatting. Please note that some of the elements outlined below are required and will be reviewed by the FAS Registrar's Office as part of Harvard Griffin GSAS policies on formatting . 

Language of the Dissertation

The language of the dissertation is ordinarily English, although some departments whose subject matter involves foreign languages may accept a dissertation written in a language other than English.

Most dissertations are 100 to 300 pages in length. All dissertations should be divided into appropriate sections, and long dissertations may need chapters, main divisions, and subdivisions.

Page and Text Requirements

• 8½ x 11 inches, unless a musical score is included
• At least 1 inch for all margins
• Body of text: double spacing
• Block quotations, footnotes, and bibliographies: single spacing within each entry but double spacing between each entry
• Table of contents, list of tables, list of figures or illustrations, and lengthy tables: single spacing may be used

Fonts and Point Size

Use 10-12 point size. Fonts must be embedded in the PDF file to ensure all characters display correctly. 

Recommended Fonts

If you are unsure whether your chosen font will display correctly, use one of the following fonts: 

If fonts are not embedded, non-English characters may not appear as intended. Fonts embedded improperly will be published to DASH as is. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that fonts are embedded properly prior to submission. 

Instructions for Embedding Fonts

To embed your fonts in recent versions of Word, follow these instructions from Microsoft:

• Click the File tab and then click Options .
• In the left column, select the Save tab.
• Clear the Do not embed common system fonts check box.

For reference, below are some instructions from ProQuest UMI for embedding fonts in older file formats:

To embed your fonts in Microsoft Word 2010:

• In the File pull-down menu, click on Options .
• Choose Save on the left sidebar.
• Check the box next to Embed fonts in the file.
• Click the OK button.
• Save the document.

Note that when saving as a PDF, make sure to go to “more options” and save as “PDF/A compliant”

To embed your fonts in Microsoft Word 2007:

• Click the circular Office button in the upper left corner of Microsoft Word.
• A new window will display. In the bottom right corner select Word Options . 
• Choose Save from the left sidebar.

Using Microsoft Word on a Mac:

Microsoft Word 2008 on a Mac OS X computer will automatically embed your fonts while converting your document to a PDF file.

If you are converting to PDF using Acrobat Professional (instructions courtesy of the Graduate Thesis Office at Iowa State University):  

• Open your document in Microsoft Word. 
• Click on the Adobe PDF tab at the top. Select "Change Conversion Settings." 
• Click on Advanced Settings. 
• Click on the Fonts folder on the left side of the new window. In the lower box on the right, delete any fonts that appear in the "Never Embed" box. Then click "OK." 
• If prompted to save these new settings, save them as "Embed all fonts." 
• Now the Change Conversion Settings window should show "embed all fonts" in the Conversion Settings drop-down list and it should be selected. Click "OK" again. 
• Click on the Adobe PDF link at the top again. This time select Convert to Adobe PDF. Depending on the size of your document and the speed of your computer, this process can take 1-15 minutes. 
• After your document is converted, select the "File" tab at the top of the page. Then select "Document Properties." 
• Click on the "Fonts" tab. Carefully check all of your fonts. They should all show "(Embedded Subset)" after the font name. 
•  If you see "(Embedded Subset)" after all fonts, you have succeeded.

Body of Text, Tables, Figures, and Captions

The font used in the body of the text must also be used in headers, page numbers, and footnotes. Exceptions are made only for tables and figures created with different software and inserted into the document.

Tables and figures must be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. They may be placed on a page with no text above or below, or they may be placed directly into the text. If a table or a figure is alone on a page (with no narrative), it should be centered within the margins on the page. Tables may take up more than one page as long as they obey all rules about margins. Tables and figures referred to in the text may not be placed at the end of the chapter or at the end of the dissertation.

• Given the standards of the discipline, dissertations in the Department of History of Art and Architecture and the Department of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning often place illustrations at the end of the dissertation.

Figure and table numbering must be continuous throughout the dissertation or by chapter (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc.). Two figures or tables cannot be designated with the same number. If you have repeating images that you need to cite more than once, label them with their number and A, B, etc. 

Headings should be placed at the top of tables. While no specific rules for the format of table headings and figure captions are required, a consistent format must be used throughout the dissertation (contact your department for style manuals appropriate to the field).

Captions should appear at the bottom of any figures. If the figure takes up the entire page, the caption should be placed alone on the preceding page, centered vertically and horizontally within the margins.

Each page receives a separate page number. When a figure or table title is on a preceding page, the second and subsequent pages of the figure or table should say, for example, “Figure 5 (Continued).” In such an instance, the list of figures or tables will list the page number containing the title. The word “figure” should be written in full (not abbreviated), and the “F” should be capitalized (e.g., Figure 5). In instances where the caption continues on a second page, the “(Continued)” notation should appear on the second and any subsequent page. The figure/table and the caption are viewed as one entity and the numbering should show correlation between all pages. Each page must include a header.

Landscape orientation figures and tables must be positioned correctly and bound at the top so that the top of the figure or table will be at the left margin. Figure and table headings/captions are placed with the same orientation as the figure or table when on the same page. When on a separate page, headings/captions are always placed in portrait orientation, regardless of the orientation of the figure or table. Page numbers are always placed as if the figure were vertical on the page.

If a graphic artist does the figures, Harvard Griffin GSAS will accept lettering done by the artist only within the figure. Figures done with software are acceptable if the figures are clear and legible. Legends and titles done by the same process as the figures will be accepted if they too are clear, legible, and run at least 10 or 12 characters per inch. Otherwise, legends and captions should be printed with the same font used in the text.

Original illustrations, photographs, and fine arts prints may be scanned and included, centered between the margins on a page with no text above or below.

Pages should be assigned a number except for the Thesis Acceptance Certificate. Preliminary pages (abstract, table of contents, list of tables, graphs, illustrations, and preface) should use small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages must contain text or images.  

Count the title page as page i and the copyright page as page ii, but do not print page numbers on either page .

For the body of text, use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) starting with page 1 on the first page of text. Page numbers must be centered throughout the manuscript at the top or bottom. Every numbered page must be consecutively ordered, including tables, graphs, illustrations, and bibliography/index (if included); letter suffixes (such as 10a, 10b, etc.) are not allowed. It is customary not to have a page number on the page containing a chapter heading.

Check pagination carefully. Account for all pages.

Thesis Acceptance Certificate

A copy of the Thesis Acceptance Certificate should appear as the first page. This page should not be counted or numbered. The DAC will appear in the online version of the published dissertation. The author name and date on the DAC and title page should be the same. 

The dissertation begins with the title page; the title should be as concise as possible and should provide an accurate description of the dissertation. The author name and date on the DAC and title page should be the same. 

Do not print a page number on the title page. It is understood to be page  i  for counting purposes only.

Copyright Statement

A copyright notice should appear on a separate page immediately following the title page and include the copyright symbol ©, the year of first publication of the work, and the name of the author:

© [ year ] [ Author’s Name ] All rights reserved.

Alternatively, students may choose to license their work openly under a  Creative Commons  license. The author remains the copyright holder while at the same time granting up-front permission to others to read, share, and (depending on the license) adapt the work, so long as proper attribution is given. (By default, under copyright law, the author reserves all rights; under a Creative Commons license, the author reserves some rights.)

Do  not  print a page number on the copyright page. It is understood to be page  ii  for counting purposes only.

An abstract, numbered as page  iii , should immediately follow the copyright page and should state the problem, describe the methods and procedures used, and give the main results or conclusions of the research. The abstract will appear in the online and bound versions of the dissertation and will be published by ProQuest. There is no maximum word count for the abstract. 

• double-spaced
• left-justified
• indented on the first line of each paragraph
• The author’s name, right justified
• The words “Dissertation Advisor:” followed by the advisor’s name, left-justified (a maximum of two advisors is allowed)
• Title of the dissertation, centered, several lines below author and advisor
• Table of Contents

Dissertations divided into sections must contain a table of contents that lists, at minimum, the major headings in the following order:

• Front Matter
• Body of Text
• Back Matter

Front and Back Matter

Front matter includes (if applicable):

• acknowledgements of help or encouragement from individuals or institutions
• a dedication
• a list of illustrations or tables
• a glossary of terms
• one or more epigraphs.

Back matter includes (if applicable):

• bibliography
• supplemental materials, including figures and tables
• an index (in rare instances).

Supplemental Material

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Reforesting Fort Ord

Traveling within a fuel break through the proposed remediated and planted landscape of Fort Ord. There are runners, a biking family, a canopy tower in the distance, foresters monitoring a stand of Monterey Pine, and a view of the Salinas Valley.

by Slide Kelly (MLA I AP, MDes ’24)

This thesis examines the potential for the conservation of Monterey pine biodiversity through the active planting of an experimental forest in the Impact Area of Fort Ord: a former US military firing range soon to become part of a national monument. It choreographs a plan for expanded munitions disposal alongside the planting of a human-assisted forest – within which thread a network of field stations, transformed fuel breaks for travel across partially off-limits land, and a redefined porous edge between Fort Ord and the neighboring city of Seaside, California.  

In proposing larger-scale remediation alongside a more-than-native-restoration, this thesis addresses the delicate balance between the passive ecosystem restoration that is status-quo for compromised US public lands and the destructive subsurface remediation needed for any alternative future for Fort Ord. The result is a landscape where once-prohibited neighbors – including Monterey pine – are allowed to arrive, challenging the colonial freeze-frame of what species can be “native” and where.

Reforesting Fort Ord provides a framework for re-connecting communities to locked-up public lands, and envisions how experimental forests, designed landscapes, and collaborative management can cultivate identity and social investment in a newly designated urban national monument. Here is a place once forbidden to people and to pines, where finally there is a possibility for more than preservation.

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Department News

Hoopes and henderson prizes honor undergraduates for outstanding thesis work.

• May 21, 2024

Five seniors in MCB , CPB , and Neuro have been awarded prestigious prizes for their thesis work. Neuroscience concentrator Daniel Kwon, MCB and Computer Science concentrator Michelle Lu, and MCB concentrator Tomi Siyanbade were recognized by the university-wide Hoopes Prize . The Hoopes celebrates excellence in undergraduate research and thesis projects across all disciplines. Meanwhile, CPB concentrator Jorge Guerra and MCB concentrator Brandon Kwon received the Henderson Prize from the Board of Tutors in Biochemical Sciences . Founded in 1926, the Board of Tutors organizes tutorials and mentoring opportunities for students in MCB and CPB. The Board of Tutors’ membership includes several MCB faculty and prominent researchers in cellular biology and biochemistry. 

Jorge Guerra ( CPB with Secondary in Statistics)

Jorge Guerra conducted his thesis research in the Gaudet Lab . He looked into the structures of metal-transporting proteins called Nramps in the bacteria Eggerthella lenta . “Natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (Nramps) help cells maintain homeostasis by transporting essential transition metal cations, such as iron and manganese, into the cell,” Guerra explains. “These proteins achieve this using a highly-conserved metal-binding-site motif consisting of aspartate, asparagine, and methionine residues.” Eggerthella lenta ’s Nramp-like proteins contain an evolutionary divergent binding site motif, which led Guerra to wonder if these sites changed how the protein interacts with metals. “To answer this question, I used X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of an Nramp-like protein in E. lenta and compare it to the structure of canonical Nramps,” he says. “I also conducted in vitro proteoliposome-based transport assays to test the metal selectivity of this Nramp-like protein.” Guerra found that mutations in the binding sites did, in fact, alter metal transport by the Nramp-like protein. These results could shed light on how the bacteria uses its Nramp-like proteins to maintain a healthy state. 

 Guerra is motivated by science’s potential to save lives and bolster human health. “During my freshman year at Harvard, I became interested in learning how scientists leverage their understanding of protein structure and function to discover and design therapeutics that save lives,” he says. “I saw this project as a perfect opportunity to explore interesting questions and begin building a strong foundation in structural biology.”

Receiving the Henderson Prize is an honor, Guerra says. “I have no doubt that this will motivate me to continue putting my heart into my work as a scientist.” 

He adds that he is grateful to his support system. “First, I would like to thank Dr. Rachelle Gaudet and Dr. Shamayeeta Ray . I could not have asked for better mentors,” he says. “Their mentorship has been instrumental to my development as a scientist, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to work alongside them. I would also like to thank the rest of the Gaudet Lab for creating such an enjoyable work environment, and for lending a helping hand when I needed one. Lastly, I would like to thank my family for their unwavering love and support.” 

Brandon Kwon ( MCB with a Secondary in Global Health & Health Policy)

MCB concentrator Brandon Kwon says that receiving the Henderson Prize was a “huge, unexpected surprise.” 

Kwon conducted his research in Alessandro Alessandrini’s lab at MGH, which specializes in immune response to organ transplants. “My initial interest in transplant immunology began with a conversation I had with an elderly Spanish-speaking couple while volunteering at St. Jude Hospital in high school,” Kwon says. “I was helping at the rehabilitation facility when a simple request for water turned into a conversation about their son’s struggle to save his failing kidney. They expressed their dismay over the long transplant waitlist, and I could sense their growing hopelessness. The husband lamented, “¿Por qué es tan difícil? La vida es más importante.” (Why is it so difficult? Life is the most important.) This encounter made me reflect on the organ shortage crisis and inspired me to contribute to research aimed at improving the transplant process so that these limited resources aren’t wasted and patients don’t continue to struggle post-surgery.”

In his thesis work, Kwon studied B cells, which are known for producing antibodies that neutralize pathogens and for playing a regulatory role in reining in the immune system. He wanted to find out if the B cells go through a transition from contributing to transplant rejection to a regulatory state that stops the attacking immune cells. To find out, he performed single cell RNA-sequencing and flow cytometric analyses to catalog cells expressing particular genes. “From these experiments, I observed a temporal shift toward B cells expressing Siglec-G and FcγR2b, both markers indicative of a regulatory phenotype,” Kwon explains. In further experiments, he knocked out the gene FcγR2b, and all of the mice died after their transplant surgeries. Kwon concludes that the gene plays an important role in shifting the immune system from an attacking state to a regulatory tolerance state. 

Kwon expressed appreciation for a number of academics who have helped him during his undergraduate journey. “First and foremost, I’m deeply grateful to my principal investigator, Dr. Alessandro Alessandrini, who took me under his wing as an inexperienced freshman and patiently guided me in my academic endeavors,” he says. “I also want to thank Ed Szuter for his mentorship, from training me in lab techniques to supporting my summer projects. Additionally, I extend my gratitude to Dr. Takahiro Yokose for his assistance with my projects, ranging from performing mouse surgeries to teaching me RStudio data analysis. On campus, my thanks go to Dr. Dominic Mao and Dr. Monique Brewster for their support within the Molecular and Cellular Biology department, making sure I was always on track and providing help whenever needed.”

Daniel Kwon ( Neuro , MBB) Neuroscience concentrator Daniel Kwon was honored with a Hoopes Prize for research he conducted in Evan Macosko’s lab at the Broad Institute. He focused on a gene called XPO7. Previous studies have suggested that XPO7 is a risk factor for schizophrenia. Kwon wanted to know whether mutations in XPO7 alter stress response. “To investigate, I studied mouse models with XPO7 mutations, focusing on how they respond to stress, a known environmental factor that exacerbates schizophrenia symptoms,” Kwon explains. “To observe biological differences, I measured their corticosterone, a stress hormone, levels. For behavioral differences, I captured depth recordings of their behavior and analyzed them with unsupervised machine learning algorithms to identify sub-second behaviors that differ between genotype and condition.” 

He found that mice with broken XPO7 proteins had slower response times and exhibited fewer adaptations to stress. Their corticosterone response also appeared blunted. These findings indicate that XPO7 may regulate stress responses through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Doing behavioral experiments with mice proved to be a challenge, as mice are nocturnal. Kwon had to work around the animals’ schedules, sometimes spending all night in the lab and only leaving at dawn. “Grappling with the interpretation of my data posed an additional hurdle,” he adds. “Notably, the absence of prior literature linking the cellular and molecular functions of XPO7 with schizophrenia compounded the challenge. This lack of established groundwork necessitated a comprehensive exploration and analysis of the data, requiring innovative approaches to discern meaningful patterns and correlations within the findings.”

“I feel immensely grateful to receive the Hoopes Prize and be recognized for the culmination of my undergraduate thesis work,” Kwon adds. “This recognition serves as a reminder of the invaluable support and guidance I received along the way.” He expressed gratitude to his PI Evan Macosko, his postdoctoral mentor Alyssa Lawler , and his family and friends. 

Michelle Lu ( MCB -Computer Science) 

For her Hoopes-winning thesis, MCB concentrator Michelle Lu developed a computational platform that opens up new applications for nanopore sequencing. “Nanopore sequencing is a fourth-generation sequencing technology that has only become practically feasible for tRNAs in the past year,” Lu explains. “The cost and time efficiency of tRNA nanopore sequencing would be improved by the ability to sequence multiple samples simultaneously, and then computationally separate the data from each sample.” Her project focused on the separation of data or “demultiplexing.”

She applied her computational tool to the sequencing of tRNAs, or transfer RNAs, which are shorter RNAs that serve as links between the messenger RNA and the growing chain of amino acids during protein synthesis. Using a barcode system of unique genetic sequences, she was able to analyze modifications to tRNAs. 

When Lu’s “demultiplexer” is released, it will be the first such computer program for tRNA nanopore sequencing. 

Lu sees her thesis as a capstone to her joint concentration in MCB and computer science. “This was certainly the first time in my life that I have tackled a project of this scope and timescale,” she says. “Any long scientific project is bound to be riddled with unexpected roadblocks – experimental equipment that breaks and needs to be replaced, a computational platform that takes over a month of fiddling with package dependencies to be able to install, etc. These hurdles challenged me to be agile in my long-term planning, one of the most valuable skills I’ve improved during my thesis.” 

Lu adds, “I truly have so many people I’d like to thank. My research advisors, Prof. George Church and Dr. Russel Vincent , as well as all members of the Church Lab. My MCB advisors and tutor – Monique, Dominic, and Prof. Léger-Abraham . My advisors in the CS department. And of course, my friends and family. Thank you all for making this thesis possible!”

Tomi Siyanbade ( MCB with a Secondary in Global Health and Health Policy and a Language Citation in French)

MCB concentrator Tomi Siyanbade teamed with the Sabeti Lab to pursue a project with real-world ramifications. “My thesis focuses on developing accessible (which I defined as low-cost, user-friendly, and implementable in low-resource settings) and accurate diagnostic tests to detect Lassa Fever, a serious viral disease found across West Africa,” she says. “I was primarily concerned with accuracy and accessibility to the target end-users: the community health professionals at the front lines of outbreaks.” 

“I wanted to work on something with a tangible impact in the next 1-2 years rather than 10-20,” she adds. “The impact-driven nature of the Sabeti lab was one of its key draws to me, and I wanted to participate in a thesis project that could ultimately benefit real people and wouldn’t just end once I left. Personally, I also realized that diagnostics are one of the most impactful tools for improving human health, and as a Nigerian, I was aware of the immense burden that Lassa posed to health.” To address the Lassa Fever diagnostic gap, Siyanbade developed a CRISPR-based test that could recognize key sequences from the viral genome. The final test reads out on a strip of paper, similar to how over-the-counter COVID tests do. “It was ultimately challenging to assess my test’s accuracy and clinical significance,” Siyanbade says. “The initial literary review, as well as the final test validation, was difficult with the relative deficit incomparable Lassa diagnostics that are approved in the world today, coupled with my lack of access to sequences for such a potentially dangerous pathogen. Overall, this made it more difficult not to “move the goalpost” and collect data that could convince me of the test’s true potential impact in the field.”

Siyanbade adds that she is glad to receive the Hoopes Prize and grateful to everyone who has helped her throughout her thesis journey. 

Congratulations to these Hoopes and Henderson Prize winners!

(top l to bottom r) Daniel Kwon, Michelle Lu, Tomi Siyanbade, Jorge Guerra, and Brandon Kwon 

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Announcing the 2024 Harold K. Gross Dissertation Prize Winners

Congratulations to 2023 History Ph.D. recipients Dr. Daniel Chardell and Prof. Margaret Weeks for being awarded the Gross Prize! 

Daniel Chardell  won for his dissertation entitled “The Gulf War: An International History, 1989-1991.”

Margaret Weeks  won for her dissertation entitled “From the House to the Street: Sex Workers and Domestic Laborers in Brazil’s Democratic Transition.”

The Harold K. Gross Dissertation Prize is “awarded each year at Graduation to the Ph.D. recipient whose dissertation, in the opinion of a committee of Department [of History] members, gave greatest promise of a distinguished career of historical research.”

Center for Digital Scholarship

University-Wide Requirements for the Ph.D. Dissertation

Dissertations must comply with the specifications set by the Library, by the author's department, and by the University. Departments, divisions, and schools may have requirements in addition to those described in this booklet. Students are responsible for informing themselves of these additional requirements.

The Dissertation Office provides information on the University’s dissertation policies. We help doctoral students understand dissertation formatting and submission requirements, and we assist with the submission process. Students are welcome to contact us with questions.

Contact the Dissertation Office

Web: phd.lib.uchicago.edu Email: [email protected] Phone: 773-702-7404 Visit: Suite 104D, Center for Digital Scholarship, Regenstein Library

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Doctoral dissertations are original contributions to scholarship. As a condition for receipt of the doctorate, all students are required to submit their dissertations to Knowledge@UChicago, the University’s open access repository. If a dissertation includes copyrighted material beyond fair use, the author must obtain permission from the holder of the copyright.

The public sharing of original dissertation research is a principle to which the University is deeply committed, and dissertations should be made available to the scholarly community at the University of Chicago and elsewhere in a timely manner. If dissertation authors are concerned that making their research publicly available might endanger research subjects or themselves, jeopardize a pending patent, complicate publication of a revised dissertation, or otherwise be unadvisable, they may, in consultation with faculty in their field (and as appropriate, research collaborators), restrict access to their dissertation for a limited period of time according to the guidelines outlined by the Dissertation Office. If a dissertation author needs to renew an embargo at the end of its term or initiate an embargo after graduation, the author must contact the Dissertation Office with the embargo request. Embargo renewals may be approved only in rare instances, and in general no more than one renewal will be allowed.

All dissertations must follow the formatting and submission requirements stated in the University-Wide Requirements for the Ph.D. Dissertation , available from the Dissertation Office on the first floor of the Joseph Regenstein Library in the Center for Digital Scholarship.

13 Harvard University students who participated in pro-Palestinian encampment will not get degrees

C AMBRIDGE - Thirteen Harvard University students who participated in the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on campus will not receive degrees at commencement on Thursday.

The university's top governing board rejected a recommendation from faculty members to allow the students to graduate with their classmates. 

In an online statement explaining the decision, the President and Fellows of Harvard College said degrees would not be granted to students who are not in good standing or facing a disciplinary action.

Students not eligible for degrees   

"In coming to this determination, we note that the express provisions of the Harvard College Student Handbook state that students who are not in good standing are not eligible for degrees," the statement said.

The students will be able to participate in ceremonies but will not receive degrees.

"We understand that the inability to graduate is consequential for students and their families," the statement said. "We fully support the Faculty of Arts and Sciences' stated intention to provide expedited review, at this time, of eligible requests for reconsideration or appeal. We will consider conferral of degrees promptly if, following the completion of all FAS processes, a student becomes eligible to receive a degree."

The pro-Palestinian encampment at Harvard Yard was put up in late April and lasted nearly three weeks. The student group was calling for Harvard to divest from Israel and "reinvest resources in Palestinian academic initiatives, communities, and culture."