Danielle Allen University Professor

A high-ranking position for a new member of the faculties

Portrait of Danielle Allen

Danielle Allen | Photograph by Jim Harrison

Political theorist Danielle Allen, who came to Harvard just last year—she is professor of government, professor of education, and director of the Edmund J. Safra Center for Ethics—has been appointed Conant University Professor. University Professors hold the highest faculty rank at Harvard, reflecting the eminence of their scholarshp; they are free to teach and conduct research in any University school. (Chinese literature scholar Stephen Owen is also a Conant University Professor.)

Allen’s scholarship was profiled in depth in “The Egalitarian,” published in the May-June 2016 Harvard Magazine. She is known to a wide readership through her commentaries for The Washington Post.

Read the University announcement here.

You might also like

Harvard Graduate Student Union Authorizes Another Strike

The University warns this walkout may not be protected by labor law, an assertion the union disputes.

FAS Readies for Administrative Transition

Faculty leaders say layoffs will yield $20 million in annual savings.

Trump Administration Asks Appeals Court to Restore Harvard Funding Cuts

The government’s lawyers homed in on a jurisdictional argument for its authority to to terminate federal grants. 

Most popular

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

How Facebook Escaped Harvard

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.

Explore More From Current Issue

Colorful cartoon animals, including dogs, cows, rabbits, and a fence, on a pink background.

Inseparable cows, big dogs fostering a tiny kitten, and a show beagle’s second act

A flooded office scene with computers, a woman working, and a pink sunset backdrop.

A College student’s attempt to recapture the romanticism of the workplace.

A football player in a white jersey evades a defender in a green uniform on the field.

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.