The nine-month appointment, supported by an endowed gift from Eugene P. Shelly, is designed to provide an exceptional educational experience for Carnegie Mellon students, foster innovative teaching practices, and promote research collaboration. Harsh will teach advanced undergraduate courses in mathematical modeling and computational mathematics while engaging with Carnegie Mellon's research community.
Incredible Opportunity for New Partnerships
"This is an incredibly humbling and exciting opportunity,” said Harsh. "The Shelly Visiting Associate Professorship has an impressive international legacy, and I look forward to collaborating with faculty and students at CMU, particularly in the fields of biology and computational biology. I hope these partnerships will continue beyond my time there."
Harsh, who specializes in mathematical oncology, uses computational approaches to better understand cancer growth, treatment responses, and resistance development. His research also aims to develop more sustainable cancer drug development strategies through virtual simulations that work to predict how diverse populations may respond to new therapies.
Dean Wendy Reed of UMD’s Swenson College of Science and Engineering praised Harsh’s achievement, “This prestigious appointment highlights the caliber of his research and teaching. His work not only raises the visibility of UMD, but also demonstrates the profound impact of innovative research on complex medical challenges.”
Rapidly Growing Research Field
Harsh's appointment underscores his commitment to teaching and the essential nature of his research. “This is an exciting time for mathematical oncology as it’s a rapidly growing field. At a recent professional gathering, we were working together to create new math approaches to address real-world biomedical problems. It was very cool,” he noted.
The Shelly Visiting Associate Professorship is highly competitive, with previous honorees hailing from institutions around the world. Harsh's appointment brings a new level of recognition to UMD while offering him the chance to form new research collaborations, particularly with Carnegie Mellon's Department of Computational Biology.
“It’s wonderful to see Harsh being recognized on this level,” said Dean Reed. “We look forward to the research insights and teaching innovations he will bring back to UMD after his time at CMU.”
Harsh’s appointment will run from September 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026, with support for travel and research expenses.