Footnote to President's Day

The day after President's Day, the Harvard University Gazette announced the resignation of Harvard University President Larry Summers. He will return to the professorial ranks on 1 July, 2007. Perhaps it was something he said... I've been locked in a windowless room full of physicists all day, and yet we still heard the news. None of us were surprised, and I think we all secretly wondered how he managed to stay in his position for a full year after the infamous speech. A confidence vote on Mr. Summers was to be held by the Harvard faculty later this week. Of course, a no confidence vote did not deter him in the past, but perhaps he decided not to face a secound round. In my mind, this is a clear-cut example of the importance of keeping a significant issue alive in the news. It also signals that people take the issue of representation of women in the sciences, and heck, the fact that women can do science, as being important.