Harvard Kennedy School Forms Internal Committee to Select Next IOP Director

Harvard Kennedy School has convened a formal search committee to help select the next director of its Institute of Politics, marking a more structured and consultative approach than the dean-led process that produced the Institute’s last director in 2023.

The search committee — composed of HKS staff, former IOP fellows, and one faculty member — began its work in December and will recommend candidates to HKS Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein, who will make the final hiring decision. The search began about one month after Setti D. Warren, the IOP’s former director, died suddenly at his home last November.

Interim IOP co-directors Ned C. Price and Beth E. Myers said in March that they do not plan to seek the permanent directorship, describing themselves as temporary stewards while the Kennedy School conducts a search for new leadership.

The committee has met with the IOP’s Senior Advisory Committee, student leaders, former fellows, and other affiliates to gather feedback on the Institute’s priorities and the qualities the next director should possess. It has also actively recruited potential candidates, drawing on recommendations from students, fellows, and SAC members, alongside an open call for applications.

HKS administrators have not indicated when a final selection will be announced, and a spokesperson for the school declined to comment for this article.

Price described the committee as ideologically diverse.

“It’s inclusive of a faculty perspective of school leadership, of people who know this place very well, and people who come from different sides of the aisle,” he said.

Students were consulted early in the process, as administrators developed the job description for the position, Price said. The committee held a session with students to discuss what the Institute should prioritize before the search formally began.

“From every step of the way, there have been repeated check-ins with students, and I know that that will continue as the process is narrowed,” he added.

The current search marks a shift from the process that led to Warren’s appointment in 2023. In a December 2022 interview, then-HKS Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf said the search — which he deemed “nationwide” — did not involve a formal committee and was instead led directly by the dean. At the time, Elmendorf said he consulted with HKS affiliates, undergraduate students, and members of the IOP’s Senior Advisory Committee before making a final decision.

Trey Grayson ’94, who served as IOP director from 2011 to 2014, said student focus should be a defining quality of the next director.

“I always thought it was important to view it through the lens of ‘how does this benefit students?’” Grayson said. “I think student focus is really, really key.”

Grayson also emphasized alumni engagement, which he said has been inconsistent over the years and has suffered recently from Covid-era disruptions and staff turnover at the Institute.

“Over the years, we’ve waxed and waned with engagement with alums, and so that’s something that is an opportunity,” he said. “There hasn’t been as much engagement with alums for the last couple of years. Covid happened, and there was underlying staff turnover.”

Grayson said the current search process differs from the one that led to his own appointment, which was led by an outside search firm instead of a formal internal committee. He had also served on the IOP’s senior advisory committee before becoming director, which he said helped make the transition easier.

“I joke that I hit the ground jogging,” he said. “Because I knew a little bit more about what was going on, that enabled me to not have to spend that first year getting up to speed.”

Students involved with the Institute said they want the next director to match Warren's hands-on approach to working with undergraduates. IOP President Lorenzo Z. Ruiz ’27 said the next director’s ability to connect with students is the most pressing concern.

“The number one concern for undergrads and for the executive team is that this is someone who can work with students aged 18 to 22 and can really work with us on our level,” he said. “I think that that’s the most important thing.”

Ruiz added that students are also seeking a leader with management experience who can oversee the IOP’s staff and programming.

“You’re looking for someone with a superior leadership track record, who is seasoned in managing large organizations with a large staff,” he said. “Most of all, someone of outstanding character, integrity and cooperative spirit, who is going to enter our doors every single day, ready and excited to collaborate with students and to bring our programs to life.”

Matthew R. Tobin ’27, a member of the IOP, said Warren’s accessibility set a standard for the role.

“Setti, during his time, made time to talk to every student, including me, when I was a freshman, and had no position of importance,” Tobin said. “Something like that is very meaningful.”

Jordan D. Schwartz ’27, another IOP member, said the next director should not limit engagement with students to the Institute’s formal programming.

“We would love to have another director who really does prioritize the student experience and makes sure that all of these extraordinary opportunities that are here day after day keep being directed towards undergrads,” he said.

Taylor P. Beljon-Regen ’29 said she values the interim co-director’s regular presence at student events and hopes the next director will follow suit.

“I think my biggest trait that I’m looking for is definitely involvement and a ‘want’ to be involved in student programming,” she said.

In their interim role, Price and Myers have prioritized bipartisanship for the IOP, a priority they said will carry over into the next directorship.

Grayson, a registered Republican, said cross-partisan programming has been central to the Institute since its founding — and that its external visibility makes the commitment especially important now.

“It’s a chance for Harvard to show that it does welcome speakers and internship posts and fellows from all across the political and ideological spectrum,” he said, pointing to recent forum guests like former New Jersey governor Chris Christie as evidence of the Institute’s continued efforts.

“The last couple of years have been tough on campus,” Grayson added. “I get the sense that Setti did a really nice job of building a community and bringing people together from different points of view, so it’s continuing the good work that he did.”

—Staff writer Sophia E. Alcacer can be reached at [email protected] and Signal at sophiaalcacer.88. Follow her on X at @sophiaalcacer.

—Staff writer Jen L. Phan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @jenllphan.