As noted by the editorial board of the Harvard Crimson, this was during a time when Epstein was using his philanthropy and relationship with Nowak to rehabilitate his public image. According to the report, the efforts of Gross, Bloxham, and Nowak were blocked by Michael Smith, who was then the Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Previous efforts by Gross and Nowak to obtain Epstein's funding, around the time of his conviction, had been blocked by Drew Faust, then the president of Harvard College.