Harvard Prof’s Epstein Island Trips Exposed

Harvard’s elite math professor, reinstated after prior Epstein scandals, faces paid leave again over disturbing new emails and island trips revealed in Trump-era DOJ files.

Story Highlights

DOJ’s 2026 Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by President Trump, uncovers 8,000+ mentions of Professor Martin Nowak in over 3 million documents.
Nowak maintained 150+ contacts with convicted sex offender Epstein post-2008, including cryptic “spy” emails and trips to Epstein’s islands.
Harvard FAS Dean Hopi Hoekstra places Nowak on immediate paid leave pending formal investigation into policy violations.
Prior 2021 sanctions against Nowak were lifted in 2023, but new evidence revives scrutiny on tainted university ties.
Broad Epstein fallout hits Harvard, including Larry Summers’ resignation from teaching roles.

Renewed Investigation Triggers Leave

Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra announced on February 25, 2026, that Martin Nowak, Harvard mathematics professor, is on paid administrative leave effective immediately. A FAS panel reviewed newly released U.S. Department of Justice Epstein files from January 2026. The panel recommended a formal inquiry into whether Nowak violated university policies or professional conduct standards. Harvard arranged coverage for his one ongoing course to minimize student disruption. This action follows the Epstein Files Transparency Act, enacted under President Trump in 2025 to expose hidden ties.

Deep Ties Post-Epstein Conviction

Jeffrey Epstein donated $6.5 million in the early 2000s to fund Harvard’s Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, directed by Nowak. Despite Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a minor, Nowak contacted him at least 150 times from 2010 to 2019. Interactions included meetings, emails about women and travel, and trips to Epstein’s private islands in 2012 and 2014 with Anna Yermakova. Nowak granted Epstein office access and keys at PED, violating rules against non-affiliates. Epstein visited Harvard offices about five times per year through 2018 to host academics.

Cryptic Emails and File Revelations

New 2026 DOJ documents highlight a 2014 email where Nowak wrote to Epstein, “our spy was captured after completing her mission,” prompting Epstein’s reply, “Did you torture her?” Files also include redacted photos and emails about women, with Nowak mentioned over 8,000 times. These differ from 2021 sanctions, which focused on campus access and led to PED closure. Nowak brokered Epstein introductions to Harvard faculty like Noam Chomsky and former president Larry Summers. No criminal accusations target Nowak directly.

Past Sanctions and Recent Fallout

Harvard first investigated Epstein ties in 2020, placing Nowak on leave then sanctioning him in 2021 by closing PED and restricting his duties. Sanctions lifted in 2023, restoring privileges. Now, parallel developments include Summers resigning his Harvard teaching roles by year’s end over his own Epstein connections mentioned in files. The probe follows FAS Handbook procedures: Nowak receives allegation notice, submits response, and faces committee determination. Harvard prioritizes reputation amid external pressure from transparent DOJ releases.

Implications for Academia and Accountability

Short-term, Nowak’s advising halts while his teaching continues via coverage, affecting math and organismic evolutionary biology departments. Long-term, further sanctions could revoke reinstated privileges, setting precedent against post-conviction donor engagements. This underscores ethical lapses in elite institutions accepting tainted funds, eroding public trust. President Trump’s transparency push empowers scrutiny, reminding universities that common-sense boundaries protect institutional integrity and American values against moral compromise. Academia faces donor vetting pressure, as seen in prior MIT scandals.