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 Kennedy School Offers Contingency Plans for U.S. Military Applicants

Active-duty service members can defer admissions or have their applications considered at peer institutions. 

Conan O’Brien Named Harvard’s 2026 Commencement Speaker

The comedian, host, and 1985 graduate will deliver remarks at the May 28 ceremony. 

Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Appoints a New Finance Dean

Warren Petrofsky joins at a crucial moment when the FAS is dealing with a $350 million deficit.

Most popular

Martin Nowak Placed on Leave a Second Time

Further links to Jeffrey Epstein surface in newly released files

Harvard Faculty Debate Plan to Cap A Grades

At a lively meeting, faculty members weighed a grade inflation plan that most agreed is imperfect.

Are ‘Little Red Dots’ Keys to Understanding the Early Universe?

Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist Fabio Pacucci explains one of cosmology’s newest mysteries.

Explore More From Current Issue

Modern building surrounded by greenery and a walking path under a blue sky.

A New Landscape Emerges in Allston

The innovative greenery at Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex

A diverse group of individuals standing on stage, wearing matching shirts and smiling.

How a Harvard and Lesley Group Broke Choir Singing Wide Open

Cambridge Common Voices draws on principles of universal design. 

Purple violet flower with vibrant petals surrounded by green foliage.

Bees and Flowers Are Falling Out of Sync

Scientists are revisiting an old way of thinking about extinction.