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Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana’s decision to step down in June threw Harvard, fresh out of a leadership crisis, into another search for a high-profile administrator.

Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra must now select a successor to Khurana, who will depart office as the College’s longest-serving dean in more than one century. She will likely look for a candidate who is ready to assume the deanship at a time of intense scrutiny on higher education and significant divisions among the undergraduate student body.

The next dean of the College must be someone “not faint of heart, who’s willing to preserve the principles of the institution and hang in there when there are tough decisions to be made,” said Thomas A. Dingman ’67, Harvard’s longtime dean of freshmen.

A candidate for the position should also have “the fortitude to lead during times that aren’t easy,” Dingman added.

In a Thursday email to FAS affiliates, Hoekstra wrote that the process to select Khurana’s replacement will begin soon, with “input from students, staff, faculty, and alumni.”

“We have big shoes to fill,” she added.

As Harvard prepares to launch its search for Khurana’s successor, here are four potential candidates to watch over the coming months.

Amanda Claybaugh

Claybaugh, the dean of undergraduate education, has both extensive experience with undergraduates and administrative experience from working closely with Khurana over the past six years.

Claybaugh holds a faculty appointment in the English department and spent four years chairing History and Literature, the University’s oldest concentration. She also helped teach Humanities 10 — a popular course for freshmen students — and worked on integrating Expository Writing into its curriculum.

Claybaugh’s record as a teacher and one of the College’s top administrators positions her as an insider who could emerge as a frontrunner in the search process.

Anne Harrington ’82

Harrington, a beloved longtime faculty dean of Pforzheimer House who served as acting dean of undergraduate education, also boasts extensive experience in administrative and student-facing roles.

A former Harvard undergraduate, Harrington has served as a longtime faculty member in the History and Science department. And, like Khurana, Harrington is currently the parent of a current Harvard College student.

She also was extensively involved in the creation of the College’s Certificate for Civic Engagement, an initiative designed to promote public service among the undergraduate student body — a key initiative championed by Khurana.

David Laibson ’88

Laibson, a professor of Economics, may also become a top contender to succeed Khurana as one of the most well-known faculty members among the student body.

Laibson co-teaches Economics 10 — Harvard’s introductory course on economics — and serves as the faculty dean of Lowell House.

Though his role as faculty dean is the only deanship Laibson has held, he boasts administrative bonafides as well. Hoekstra, the FAS dean, appointed Laibson to serve as co-chair of an FAS-wide committee on classroom norms in February.

Eric Beerbohm

Beerbohm, a professor in the Government department and faculty dean of Quincy House, has the academic and administrative credentials that could land him the role of dean of the College.

Though not nearly as acquainted with the undergraduate student body as other potential contenders, Beerbohm could prove to be a strong contender for the role.

Hoekstra has also demonstrated confidence in Beerbohm, appointing him to serve as her senior adviser on civil discourse. The appointment demonstrated Hoekstra’s commitment to promote dialogue amid campus divisions over the war in Israel and Gaza.

In 2023, Beerbohm was also named as the next director of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics by then-Harvard Provost Alan M. Garber ’76. The center features University-wide programming on civil discourse and intellectual vitality, including a dialogue series and listening sessions.