Nancy Hill, Bigelow professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), and her husband Rendall Howell will become the new faculty deans at Currier House, Harvard College Dean David Deming said today in an email to the House community. Their new roles will begin on July 1.
Hill, the co-author (with HGSE lecturer Alexis Redding ’98) of The End of Adolescence: The Lost Art of Delaying Adulthood, is a developmental psychologist whose research focuses on parenting and adolescent development. At HGSE, she teaches courses in adolescent development, learning, and teaching. At the College, she teaches “Adulting: Psychological and Sociological Perspectives on the Transition to Adulthood,” a seminar for first-year students offered in collaboration with the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
Hill is also the director of education research at the Boston Area Research Initiative, an urban research partnership between Harvard and Northeastern University. She has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Michigan State University.
Rendall Howell, who advises clients in financial technology, including digital-first banking solutions, has an MBA in finance from Duke University. Deming, in his email to Currier affiliates, noted that “Rendall is also a musician, and I know he looks forward to sharing his talents with the House.”
Hill and Howell, who years ago served in a similar role in a freshmen dorm at Duke, are currently the faculty directors in the Graduate Commons Program at Harvard, which aims to connect the academic and residential experiences through a variety of residence-based programs. Deming said, “They have demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement and believe that an essential part of community-building is ensuring that all perspectives are encouraged, valued, and discussed.”
Hill, Howell, and their 14-year-old son Theo will replace Sylvia Barrett and Latanya Sweeney, whom Deming praised for their “exceptional service as Faculty Deans for the past 10 years. Their commitment to the Currier community knows no bounds, and I wish them the very best in their post-Faculty Dean life.”
