A message from Dean Douglas Elmendorf
Dear Members of the Harvard Kennedy School Community,
I am delighted that Harvard President Alan Garber has named Jeremy Weinstein as the next dean of Harvard Kennedy School, beginning July 1.
Professor Weinstein is both an outstanding scholar and an accomplished practitioner of public policy. His research has addressed a range of issues in international relations, economic development, immigration, democracy, and technology—thereby engaging with many topics of central importance at the Kennedy School and in the world. Moreover, he has served in senior roles at the U.S. mission to the United Nations and at the White House’s National Security Council.
Professor Weinstein’s deep and broad experience and his commitment to excellence in addressing public challenges make him a natural choice to lead the Kennedy School. He also knows Harvard, having received his PhD here roughly twenty years ago. I know that we will all welcome him warmly to the Kennedy School, and I look forward to working with him as a member of our faculty in the future.
I encourage you to read more about Professor Weinstein in President Garber’s message below!
Sincerely,
Doug
A message from Interim Harvard President Alan Garber
Dear Members of the Harvard Kennedy School Community,
I am delighted to announce that Jeremy Weinstein will serve as dean of Harvard Kennedy School, starting on July 1, 2024.
Jeremy is currently the Kleinheinz Family Professor of International Studies at Stanford University, where he also serves as Senior Fellow at both the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Widely respected for his energetic and empowering leadership style, he is responsible for the conception, establishment, and development of major initiatives. He is the faculty director of Stanford Impact Labs, a $315 million university-wide initiative aimed at advancing the frontiers of the social sciences. He also codirects the Immigration Policy Lab, which drives large-scale research projects in partnership with governments, international organizations, and nonprofits with the aim of improving the lives of refugees and immigrants, as well as the communities in which they live.
In addition to his work as a scholar and leader, Jeremy brings a wealth of experience from his work at the White House and in the State Department. He was Director for Development and Democracy on the National Security Council from 2009 to 2011 and made important contributions to efforts focused on global development, democracy, human rights, and anti-corruption. He was a key architect of President Obama’s Open Government Partnership, an initiative bringing together governments and civil society organizations to strengthen democracy and deliver better societal outcomes. He later served, under Samantha Power, as Chief of Staff and then Deputy to the US Ambassador to the United Nations. He served on both the Obama-Biden and the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Teams working on national security and global development, and served in advisory roles to the Department of State and USAID during the Biden Administration.
Jeremy received his BA with high honors from Swarthmore College and his MA and PhD in political economy and government from Harvard University. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the International Studies Association’s Karl Deutsch Award and the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Stanford.
I am grateful to the members of the advisory committee who generously invested their time and energy and whose guidance was instrumental in bringing the search to a successful conclusion. I would also like to thank everyone who offered their advice and nominations. Jeremy is an exceptional scholar and leader with significant high-level policy experience who will bring to the deanship a rare combination of talents at a pivotal moment for HKS. I hope you will join Interim Provost John Manning and me in congratulating him on his appointment and in welcoming him back to Harvard.
Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber
P.S. For more, please see the related news release.
—
Portrait by Christine Baker.