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Ten members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will serve on a committee to advise FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoesktra on the search for the next Dean of the College, per the Harvard Office of the Secretary website.
The members of the faculty advisory committee include History professor Philip J. Deloria; Physics professor Cora Dvorkin; Classics and Comparative Literature professor Emily Greenwood; Government professor Joshua D. Kertzer; Economics professor David I. Laibson ’88; Applied Mathematics, Biology, and Physics professor Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan; Philosophy professor Regina “Gina” L. Schouten; Dean of Faculty Affairs and Planning Nina Zipser; and Lisa Mincieli, director of special projects.
The formation of the faculty advisory committee marks Hoesktra’s first concrete step in the College Dean search since Rakesh Khurana announced last month that he would be stepping down at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, concluding his 11-year tenure.
Laibson, Zipser, and Mahadevan all serve as faculty deans, as Khurana did when he was tapped to be Dean of the College. Serving in roles that grant them both administrative experience and frequent interactions with undergraduates, faculty deans are often candidates for the College deanship.
Laibson also leads the FAS committee on classroom norms alongside History professor Maya R. Jasanoff ’96, while other members of the committee serve on various department-specific committees. Deloria serves as the chair of the History and Literature standing committee, while Kertzer is on the selection committee for the Hoopes Prize in Social Science.
In a Thursday afternoon interview, Khurana deferred all questions about the ongoing dean search to Hoekstra, saying he had no involvement in the process, but said a wide swath of opinions should be considered.
“I think it’s really critical that the input of all our stakeholders is taken to account, and I think it’s really important to listen to our students,” Khurana said, though he declined to answer on the specifics of how input should be weighed.
In emails sent to undergraduates on Tuesday, Hoesktra publicized a series of town halls where students can share their thoughts and ideas about what qualities they would like to see in the Khurana’s successor.
The town halls will take place on the evenings of Nov. 12, 18, and 19, and members of the faculty advisory committee will be in attendance.
Hoekstra also sent an email to undergraduates at the beginning of the semester directly requesting input on the search for the next College dean.
“This is an important process, and your input is crucial,” she wrote. “I genuinely want to hear your thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing the College and the qualities you believe are important in the next dean.”
—Staff writer Michelle N. Amponsah can be reached at michelle.amponsah@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @mnamponsah.
—Staff writer Joyce E. Kim can be reached at joyce.kim@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @joycekim324.
