Two longtime Harvard Kennedy School faculty members—Joe Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor, and Mary Jo Bane, Thornton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management—have just reached emeritus status. Joe and Mary Jo have made tremendous contributions to the School and to their fields of learning and practice.
Joe Nye
Joe was first named to the Harvard faculty (in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences) in 1979, and joined the Kennedy School in 1987. For a time he travelled back and forth between Cambridge and Washington where he held multiple positions in the federal government, including as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. He served as Dean of the Kennedy School from 1995 to 2004. A highly esteemed international relations scholar, Joe pioneered the theory of ‘soft power,’ which posits that nations can profoundly influence others through their culture, values, and foreign policies. In 2011 Foreign Policy magazine named him to its list of top global thinkers.
Mary Jo Bane
A political scientist who focuses on children, families, and welfare policy, Mary Jo joined our faculty in 1981. In addition to her respected academic work, Mary Jo also served in several government roles, including as Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Social Services. From 1987 to 1992, she was director of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy. She also served as Academic Dean at the School from 2006 to 2011.
Both Joe and Mary Jo have served both the Kennedy School and their country with great distinction and honor, and will continue to contribute to their fields in their emeritus status.