Summary
A Harvard Crimson investigation into avi-loeb’s uap-science-advisory-council finds that of its 18 publicly named members, 12 have Harvard ties: five faculty/staff, three postdocs, and four galileo-project research affiliates. The council keeps growing informally — astrobiologists Jacob Haqq-Misra and ravi-kopparapu have been added but not announced, and Templeton Foundation president Tim Dalrymple is awaiting final approval. The piece traces the council’s formation to a Galileo Project meeting where Loeb solicited members, documents the roster’s churn (Regina Sarmiento’s withdrawal, Liberty Vittert’s late addition), and quotes michael-shermer downplaying Harvard’s role in selection while crediting Loeb’s Harvard professorship for the council’s institutional credibility. It confirms the council has no budget, communicates with the odni/White House only through Loeb and the unlisted uap-governance-board, and has asked the Pentagon to declassify 50 items with no response yet. It also notes Loeb’s prior PCAST service and an aaro director’s earlier home visit, and situates the council against Harvard’s ongoing legal dispute with the White House, which Loeb says he stayed out of.
Key Claims
- 12 of 18 publicly named council members have Harvard ties (5 faculty/staff, 3 postdocs, 4 Galileo Project affiliates) (Crimson analysis)
- Jacob Haqq-Misra (Galileo Project affiliate) and Ravi Kopparapu have been added to the council but not publicly announced (Loeb, confirmed to Crimson)
- Tim Dalrymple, Templeton Foundation president and Harvard religious-studies PhD, is awaiting final approval to join (Loeb)
- The White House gave Loeb a “free hand” in selecting members and never vetoed a pick; he could have made a council “five times bigger” (Loeb)
- Regina Sarmiento’s name was pulled from the initial roster because she withdrew over the short-term nature of the position, by her own choice (Loeb)
- Liberty Vittert joined less than two weeks after emailing Loeb following his public announcement (Vittert)
- Michael Shermer says selection was based on Loeb’s personal confidence in people’s work, not Harvard affiliation, but credits Loeb’s Harvard title for the council’s credibility (Shermer)
- The council has no budget and unpaid, voluntary membership; it does not communicate directly with the White House or ODNI, only through Loeb and the non-public UAP Governing Board (Loeb)
- The council has asked the Pentagon to declassify 50 items and has not yet received a response (Loeb)
- Loeb previously served on Trump’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and the AARO director visited his home after taking office (Loeb)
- Loeb did not inform Harvard’s central administration or President Alan Garber before agreeing to lead the council, and says he stays out of Harvard’s ongoing legal dispute with the White House (Loeb)
- Billionaire ben-lamm, a council member, runs Colossal, which helps fund Harvard’s Wyss Institute (Crimson)
Notable Quotes
“I could have made a committee that is five times bigger.” — Avi Loeb “Only by association through the Galileo Project are people that Avi happens to know that are very good at what they do. I don’t think there was any attempt to strike a balance between Harvard and non-Harvard.” — Michael Shermer “Harvard professorship has really opened a lot of doors. If he was an astronomer at a small liberal arts college or a community college or something, that would not have the same effect.” — Michael Shermer “I’m not deeply involved in any of the disputes right now. I leave that to President Garber and his administration to deal with it.” — Avi Loeb “People come to me. It’s not something I initiated.” — Avi Loeb