Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

05/28/2026

Happy Harvard Commencement day! Congrats to graduate Ashwin Sivakumar 26'. Ashwin's thesis focused on bird wing evolution, working off of CT scans taken in the Edwards Lab, The Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology at Harvard.

He's also been an integral member of the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture student board, presenting Song Sparrow specimens at Visitas and helping host the annual Zagmuk party at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.

Ashwin Sivakumar ’26 wanted to understand how birds evolved such a diversity of wing shapes. Working with the Edwards Lab, led by Alexander Agassiz Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Scott V. Edwards, Sivakumar used CT technology to scan a variety of wings. The results, outlined in h...

05/27/2026

Meet Luis-Daniel Beauchamp, a second-year Harvard graduate student focusing on Caribbean history and the Taíno history of Borikén/Puerto Rico. Drawn to the Peabody Museum by the realization that so many objects from his homeland are here in Cambridge, Luis-Daniel describes his research in three words: tradition, ancestral, and powerful.

One of the most magnificent—yet less known—parts of the collection he wishes everyone knew about are the Taíno stone collars. Carved with incredible skill, these stone rings were worn as "regalia by caciques (chiefs) during important ceremonies,” he says. “They would make a great addition to exhibitions, although they are quite heavy!”

By centering Borikén Taíno objects, his work sheds light on a region of Indigenous history, creating a vital resource for modern descendants seeking to reconnect with their ancestral heritage.

“Historically, museums in North America have paid less attention to objects from South America and the Caribbean, and I think by studying Boriken Taíno objects one can learn so much about a part of the United States that few people think about."

Luis-Daniel portrait by Tony Rinaldo; 76-27-30/9580 Gift of the Smithsonian Institution.

05/21/2026

A famous American fashion statement helps bring Revolutionary history to life.

05/18/2026

Rubies are now on view in the Harvard Museum of Natural History!

Now open! Rubies is a new, intimate collection of stunning minerals, gemstones, and jewelry on display in the Earth & Planetary Sciences Gallery.

Ruby, the red variety of the mineral corundum, owes its vibrant color to trace amounts of chromium in its crystal structure. This element also gives many rubies a striking fluorescence, glowing bright crimson under ultraviolet light. Ruby’s internal world—its inclusions, growth zoning, and rutile “silk” needles—records its geological journey and can reveal its origin, making ruby a gemstone of extraordinary beauty and a rich source of scientific insight. Visit 9am-5pm ET: https://tinyurl.com/VisitRubiesHMNH.

Shown here:《 The Soul of Flame II 》 Brooch, The Ikhor Collection

05/14/2026

Artist Azadeh Akhlaghi prepares for the opening of her exhibition, “From Iran: A Visual Testimony,” at the Peabody Museum on 5/15 with an exhibition team staffer.

Created over the course of fourteen years, she staged and photographed pivotal moments from Iran’s tumultuous twentieth-century history. Drawing on meticulous archival research and her background in cinema, she cast professional and nonprofessional actors and photographed each scene from multiple angles to reimagine historical events as complex tableaux, set in real locations in Iran.

05/13/2026

HMSC student worker Daniela Solis is featured in a Harvard University Gazette commencement profile that explores her new focus on art. Throughout the year, Daniela has worked with the Marketing Department to promote HMSC programs to the public.
Congratulations, Daniela!
Read the full article here:

When Daniela Solis took an art class junior year, “it felt like time stopped.”

05/13/2026

Five senior faculty members have been awarded Harvard College professorships for excellence in undergraduate teaching and for helping students “develop their intellectual passions.” Hopi Hoekstra, Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, announced the recipients at the May 5 Mee...

05/13/2026

05/07/2026

We are pleased to announce that the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture is now partnered with KultureCity® to offer a more inclusive experience for museum visitors with sensory challenges. KultureCity’s® Sensory Inclusive™ program has been widely embraced by many cultural institutions.

The certification process, guided by leading medical and neurodivergent professionals, provided HMSC staff and volunteers with skills on how to support the needs of visitors who may think or process stimuli differently.

Offerings include helpful wayfinding, curated sensory bags, and social stories on Kulture City’s app and website, providing visitors with visual and written details on what to expect on their visit. These resources are available at no cost. Read more:
https://hmsc.harvard.edu/2026/05/04/kulturecity

Photo by Tony Rinaldo

04/29/2026