Harvard Fights Back: Political War on University Independence

Resources

Books

• "Mein Kampf" by Adolf Hitler - Mentioned as Michael Velchik's "favorite book" in an email from his undergraduate years.

Videos & Documentaries

• 60 Minutes - Mentioned as having covered a counterinsurgency lab class taught by Kit Parker.

Research & Studies

• Study on colorectal cancers - Camilla Nexarova's lab focuses on this area, with a sharp rise in younger people.

Tools & Software

• Excel spreadsheet - Used by Ryan to track faculty names signing an open letter.

Articles & Papers

• Opinion pieces in The Crimson - Published by Ryan and Steve Levitsky advocating for Harvard to take a stand for democracy.

People Mentioned

• James Ryan - Announced his departure as president amid a DOJ investigation into UVA's DEI efforts.
• Rumesa Ozturk - Identified as a pro-Palestinian activist whose visa was revoked.
• Donald Trump - Mentioned as having made threats against universities and as a former president whose policies were lived with.
• Ilia Marritz - Reporter and host of "The Harvard Plan" series.
• Ryan Enos - Political scientist at Harvard and a "numbers guy."
• Camilla Nexarova - Professor and researcher at Harvard Medical School who studies cancer cells.
• Kit Parker - Colonel in the army reserves, professor of bioengineering at Harvard, and a conservative voter.
• Linda McMahon - Education Secretary.
• Leo Terrell - Lawyer and chairman of a task force investigating antisemitism at universities.
• Steve Levitsky - Colleague of Ryan who studies Latin American politics.
• Alan Garber - President of Harvard.
• Hillary Burns - Globe colleague who learned about Michael Velchik's undergraduate paper.
• Michael Velchik - Trump administration's lawyer in the lawsuit against Harvard.
• Allison Burroughs - Judge presiding over Harvard's lawsuit.
• Claire Shipman - Columbia's new president, former journalist.
• J Batasharia - Mentioned as a guest on the show with Alan Garber, described as data-driven and empirical.

Organizations & Institutions

• Progressive Insurance - Sponsor of the podcast.
• Department of Justice - Investigating UVA's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
• Trump Administration - Mentioned in relation to visa revocations, research grant rescissions, and pressure campaigns on universities.
• Boston Globe - Partnered with "The Harvard Plan" series.
• Harvard University - Central focus of the episode, discussed in relation to pressure campaigns, DEI initiatives, and lawsuits.
• General Services Administration - The task force investigating antisemitism at universities came under its umbrella.
• Department of Education - Investigating universities for allowing a climate of antisemitism.
• Columbia University - Singled out by the government for alleged lapses in dealing with antisemitism.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Funding for scientific research grants was impacted.
• Homeland Security - Moved to block Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students.
• Departments of Energy, Defense, Agriculture, and NASA - Canceled grants and programs with Harvard.
• The Crimson - Harvard's school newspaper.
• Army Reserves - Kit Parker is a colonel in this branch.
• WGBH - Boston station that covered the controversy around Kit Parker's policing class.
• University of California - Mentioned in Ryan's story about a new campus opening.
• Northwestern University, University of Virginia, George Mason University - College presidents resigned or were pressured to do so.
• The New York Times - Reported that the ultimatum to Harvard may have been sent by accident.

Courses & Educational Resources

• Class on barbecue - Taught by Kit Parker, with a patent on a smoker he created.
• Class on fashion - Taught by Kit Parker.
• Class on policing in Springfield - Taught by Kit Parker, which was later withdrawn due to controversy.
• Latin class - Michael Velchik wrote a paper for this class from the perspective of Adolf Hitler.
• DEI progress reporting - No longer requested by the engineering school.

Websites & Online Resources

• progressive.com - Mentioned as the website to see if listeners could save money on insurance.
• sponsorship.wnyc.org - Website for information on becoming a sponsor.

Other Resources

• The Harvard Plan (podcast series) - A series made in partnership with the Boston Globe, focusing on the tenure of Claudine Gay.
• This American Life - Podcast hosted by Ira Glass, mentioned as a point of reference for the narrative style.
• Science Friday - Podcast hosted by Ira Flatow, mentioned at the end of the episode.
• Mar-a-Lago - Mentioned in relation to an invitation.
• Student Exchange Visitor Program - Harvard was no longer allowed to participate.