Dr. Hazel Sive is Dean of the College of Science, and Professor of Biology at Northeastern University, Boston. She is a research pioneer, award-winning educator and innovator in the higher education space.
Prior to June 2020, she was Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Associate Member of the Broad Institute. A native of South Africa, she received the B.Sc. in Chemistry and Zoology, from University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and the Ph.D. from Rockefeller University, New York.
Dr. Sive’s groundbreaking research focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as fundamental processes underlying brain and craniofacial development. First, Dr. Sive has pioneered use of the zebrafish model to define new therapeutic pathways for neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders. Second, Dr. Sive has developed understanding of the ‘Extreme Anterior Domain’ (EAD), an embryonic region she named that is found in humans and gives rise to the mouth. Using the South African Claw-Toed Frog Xenopus her group discovered that the EAD controls formation of the face and brain and is a novel target for microcephaly.
Dr. Sive is a distinguished educator. She was a MacVicar Faculty Fellow, MIT’s highest undergraduate teaching accolade and twice winner of the MIT School of Science Teaching Award. At MIT, she taught Introductory Biology; a groundbreaking subject called Building with Cells; and Developmental Neuroscience. An accomplished leader and innovator, Dr. Sive was Associate Dean of the MIT School of Science with oversight for education and equity. She increased diversity in the School and led the important 2011 Report on the Status of Women Faculty in Science. Dr. Sive was Founding Director of the MIT Jameel World Higher Education Lab. Further, Dr. Sive was Founding Director of the MIT- Africa Initiative, that promotes mutually beneficial engagement in research, education and innovation, and worked across twelve African countries. She initiated the MIT-Wits Program that increased research collaboration, student internships and entrepreneurship workshops.
For the Northeastern College of Science, Dean Sive has the overarching vision of building excellence in research, education and entrepreneurship, within a culture of respect and action towards equity. Over the past year, she has made exceptional progress towards these goals. Dean Sive is helping lead the new Northeastern Africa Global Initiative as Chair of the Working Team. Dr. Sive has begun discussions towards a Northeastern-Wits Program, that will include student exchange, a joint PhD program and research connections.
