Biology professor Jeff W. Lichtman will serve as the next dean of science in the College of Arts and Sciences, FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra announced Tuesday afternoon.
Lichtman, a neuroscientist best known for teaching the introductory course Neuroscience 80, will assume the role on July 1, according to an email Hoekstra sent to FAS affiliates.
Lichtman also holds FAS’s highest faculty appointment as Professor of Arts and Sciences.
He will succeed current Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs, who is expected to step down at the end of the academic year. Stubbs, who also serves as Hoekstra’s special advisor on artificial intelligence, will remain heavily involved in the management of FAS.
Lichtman’s selection caps off a busy few weeks for Hoekstra, who also announced the next dean of Arts and Humanities less than two weeks ago. The choice to lead the Science division was especially meaningful for Hoekstra, who is a biologist.
In addition to teaching, Lichtman leads the Molecular and Cellular Biology department’s curriculum committee and serves on the Mind, Brain, and Behavior program committee—which coordinates neuroscience pedagogy across multiple departments.
As a key facilitator of Harvard’s MBB program, Lichtman fits the profile that Hoekstra told The Crimson she was looking for: a promoter of interdisciplinary work.
Lichtman’s research focused on drawing a “connectome” – a map of the brain’s pathways. His laboratory has invented several methods for visualizing these neural connections.
“Jeff thinks big, as evidenced by his own research program and vision for pedagogy,” Hoekstra wrote in his announcement.
“As a scientist, educator and leader, Jeff brings people together in genuine collaboration to advance the frontiers of knowledge,” she added.
Lichtman will no longer teach Neuro 80 in the fall due to his new administrative appointment. FAS spokeswoman Holly J. Jensen said the current plan is to have a different instructor teach the course.
—Staff writer Tilly R. Robinson can be reached at tilty.robinson@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @tillyrobin.
—Staff writer Neil H. Shah can be reached at neil.shah@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @neilhshah15.
