HKS shield.
V.O. Key, Jr. Professor of Politics and Leadership, Emeritus
Contact:
617-495-1158

Gary Orren is the V.O. Key, Jr. Professor of Politics and Leadership at Harvard, where he has taught for over 50 years.  He teaches and writes on public opinion, politics, and persuasion. He has worked in the United States and abroad as a pollster and strategist for government agencies, corporations, non-profits, candidates, and news organizations, including the Washington Post and the New York Times.  He took a leading role in creating the first national media poll, The New York Times/CBS News Poll. He helped draft the rules for the U.S. presidential nomination process and has assisted ABC News in its election night forecasting. On leave from Harvard, he worked for three years at the youth corps program City Year as a team leader and director of national policy and planning, and he served for 10 years on City Year’s National Board of Trustees.   His books include Equality in America: The View from the Top; Media and Momentum: The New Hampshire Primary and Nomination Politics; The Electronic Commonwealth: The Impact of New Media Technologies on Democratic Politics; and Media Polls in American Politics. He received his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Oberlin and his Ph.D. from Harvard. String instruments are his thing: playing some (violin, guitar) and playing with others (a tennis racket).

Transparent Engagement 

Harvard Kennedy School is proud of its energetic involvement in the world. To better understand how to solve public problems by improving policy and leadership, we engage directly with policymakers, public leaders, governments, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses whose activities affect those problems. However, we recognize that such engagement can raise questions about perceived and potential conflicts of interest, so we disclose publicly the key professional activities of our faculty outside the Kennedy School. The activities disclosed below are for the most recent reporting period, as defined by University policy. Some may be paid, some may be unpaid, and others may be in exchange for expense reimbursement only.

Outside Professional Activities For Gary Orren

Organization Relationship
Cambridge International Consulting Speaking engagement, invited lecture, or presentation

Contact

Phone: 617-495-1158

Expertise

Media
Politics
Business & Regulation
Democracy & Governance
Public Leadership & Management

Mailing Address

Harvard Kennedy School
79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138