In First Major Move, New Harvard Kennedy School Dean Reshuffles Top Administration

Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein appointed HKS professors Erica Chenoweth and Gordon H. Hanson to new leadership positions at the school in late July.

The restructuring, which was announced to HKS affiliates in an email, marked Weinstein’s first major move since he assumed leadership of the school on July 1.

The appointments also coincided with professor David J. Deming’s decision to step down from his role after a three-year term as the school’s academic dean. Deming said in a statement that he had previously informed former HKS Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf of his intention to relinquish the post this year.

Deming, a professor of political economy and education at the Kennedy School, will be on sabbatical from the Kennedy School during the 2024-25 academic year. Deming was also one of the finalists in the dean search that ended in Weinstein’s selection.

Under the new arrangement, Chenoweth will leave their current post as academic dean of faculty engagement to take over many of Deming’s previous responsibilities, including overseeing faculty appointments and faculty development, according to Weinstein’s email.

Hanson — a new face in the dean’s office — functionally stepped into Chenoweth’s current position on Sunday, a role that involves chairing the Kennedy School’s faculty steering committee and “to foster a stronger culture of community and engagement” among the school’s faculty and staff.

Weinstein also announced in the email that Suzanne Cooper, a senior lecturer in public policy, will continue to serve as the school’s academic dean for teaching and curriculum. In her role, Cooper will remain responsible for overseeing teaching and education at HKS.

“I am excited to work closely with Erica and Gordon in these new roles — as well as with Suzanne in her continuing role — and appreciate their deep commitment to HKS,” Weinstein wrote.

Weinstein’s new leadership structure signals his willingness to reshape the school as it moves forward from the controversies that caused discord between faculty and the school’s administration during Elmendorf’s tenure

Many HKS affiliates called on Elmendorf to resign in January 2023 after accusations that he denied former Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth a fellowship at HKS over his criticism of Israel. While Elmendorf reversed course and ultimately offered Roth the fellowship, some faculty members remained frustrated with his leadership.

Weinstein’s appointment of Hanson — who joined HKS in late 2020 — also continues the Kennedy School’s recent trend of having newer faculty members serve in leadership roles. When Deming became academic dean in 2021, he had been teaching and conducting research at HKS for less than five years.

In his three-year term as academic dean, Deming focused on bringing more international faculty members to the school amid calls from students for HKS to hire more professors from abroad.

In May, Deming told The Crimson that the school had hired 10 faculty members with “international expertise” under his watch.

Deming wrote in a statement about his decision to step down as academic dean that he “greatly enjoyed” his time in the role, but was “excited to return to research and teaching.”.

“Dean Weinstein has made two excellent appointments in Erica and Gordon and I look forward to working with all three of them in the years to come,” he added.

—Staff writer William C. Mao can be reached at william.mao@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @williamcmao.

—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.