#3 MARTY PERETZ

It was meant to be a celebration of liberal thought. But the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies’ 50th year anniversary blew up into a national controversy after one of its honored guests, Martin “Marty” H. Peretz, a former social studies professor and editor of the New Republic magazine, made bigoted comments in a September blog post regarding the Park51 project in downtown Manhattan. Two weeks later, members of the Social Studies community launched a petition opposing the upcoming tribute to Peretz as well as a $650,000 undergraduate research fund for Social Studies students to be provided in his name. The Committee came under fire from faculty and students across campus, including student ethnic groups and the Undergraduate Council, for not more aggressively distancing itself from Peretz’s comments.

The September 25 anniversary celebration in the Science Center endured, but the focus repeatedly drifted toward Peretz. Several members of the Social Studies community walked out of the ceremony in protest, while others expressed their disapproval of the Committee’s actions on stage. Protestors outside the Science Center followed Peretz across campus, requiring police escorts for the former Harvard professor. The protestors posted video coverage of their picketing online.

But the controversy continued as administrators wrestled over what to do with the $650,000 fund in Peretz’s name. The University had already announced that it would keep the money, but the Social Studies community was not entirely onboard. On October 6, around 40 students walked out of their Social Studies 10 lecture in protest. The Committee held an open discussion on the topic, and finally formulated a series of options that would give students the choice as to how or if they would use money from the new Marty Peretz Fund. Administrators said they planned to direct funds toward projects that focused on topics like inequality and social justice.

#2 ADAM WHEELER

It was not until Adam Wheeler began applying for a United States Rhodes Scholarship and the Fulbright Scholarship that his entire academic career started to unravel. The University initiated a full-scale investigation and discovered that he had cheated his way into Harvard—faking a transcript from MIT and his SAT scores, among other parts of his application.

The Crimson analyzed Wheeler's resume, discovering a number of falsehoods. Soon after Wheeler's lies began to surface, he faced legal action. In Middlesex Superior Court, he pled not guilty to 20 charges that included larceny, identity fraud, falsifying an endorsement or approval, and pretending to hold a degree. But in November, The Crimson learned that Wheeler would likely plead guilty. On Dec. 16, Wheeler admitted that he duped the Harvard admissions office and defrauded the University out of over $40,000 in grants and prizes. Wheeler was sentenced to ten years of probation, ordered to pay Harvard $45,806, and instructed to continue psychological treatment.

#1 MARC HAUSER

Marc D. Hauser, a prominent Harvard psychology professor, was found to be "solely responsible" for eight instances of scientific misconduct in his laboratory after a three-year internal investigation by the University. In three instances, published studies had to be retracted or corrected to remove unsupported findings. He is also facing inquiries from The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Office of Research Integrity at the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Science Foundation's Inspector General.

While the University has not revealed the details the punishments levied against him, Hauser went on a year-long leave of absence. At first Hauser was allowed to teach classes at the Harvard Extension School, despite the federal investigation that has likely been opened against him, but the Extension School reversed its decision, canceling Hauser's courses. He will not return to teach until the fall of 2011, but the University continued to allow Hauser to run his laboratory, which studies the psychology of dogs, moral judgments in adults, and economic decision making in children.

With little known about the consequences Hauser might face, The Crimson examined the possible outcomes of a federal inquiry and the likelihood that Hauser would lose tenure. While the campus was abuzz with talk of the accusations surrounding Hauser, his laboratory remained quiet but functioning in the weeks after the scandal broke.