Shaun Harper, Ph.D.

Shaun Harper is one of the nation’s most highly respected racial equity experts. He is a Provost Professor in the Rossier School of Education and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He also is the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership, founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, president of the American Educational Research Association, a past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, and editor-at-large of TIME magazine.

Dr. Harper’s research focuses primarily on race, gender, and other dimensions of equity in an array of organizational contexts, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporations. He has published 12 books about education and over 100 other academic publications. His research has been cited in nearly 15,000 published studies across a vast array of academic fields and disciplines. Atlantic Philanthropies and the Bill & Melinda Gates, Lumina, Ford, Kellogg, College Futures, Kresge, and Open Society Foundations have awarded him more than $16 million in grants.

The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, and several thousand other news outlets have quoted Professor Harper and featured his research. He has interviewed on CNN, ESPN, and NPR. He also has testified twice to the United States House of Representatives and spoken at numerous White House convenings. Dr. Harper served on President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Advisory Council. California Governor Gavin Newsome recently appointed him to a task force on racial equity and COVID-19 recovery.

The recipient of dozens of top honors in his field and one honorary doctorate, Professor Harper has been recognized in Education Week as one of the 10 most influential scholars in the field of education. He spent a decade at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a tenured full professor. His Ph.D. is from Indiana University.