Alan Garber

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Alan Garber

| image = Alan Garber at the George W. Gay Lecture at Harvard Medical School (2015) 03.png

| caption = Garber in 2015

| office = 31st President of Harvard University

| term_start = August 2, 2024
interim: January 2, 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Claudine Gay

| successor =

| office2 = Provost of Harvard University

| term_start2 = September 1, 2011

| term_end2 = March 14, 2024

| predecessor2 = Steven Hyman

| successor2 = John F. Manning

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|5|7}}

| birth_place = Illinois, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse = Anne Yahanda

| children = 4

| education = Harvard University (BA, MA, PhD)
Stanford University (MD)

| module = {{Infobox scientist | child=yes

| alma_mater =

| thesis_title = Costs and control of antibiotic resistance

| thesis_url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/303060337/

| thesis_year = 1982

| doctoral_advisors = Martin Feldstein
Zvi Griliches
Richard Zeckhauser

| academic_advisors =

| influences =

| field = Health care policy

| sub_discipline =

| workplaces = {{plainlist|

}}

| doctoral_students =

| notable_students =

| main_interests =

| notable_works =

| notable_ideas =

| influenced =

}}

Alan Michael Garber (born May 7, 1955) is an American physician and health economist, currently serving as the 31st president of Harvard University since December 7, 2024. Previously, he served as provost of Harvard University from 2011 to March 2024.

Early life and education

Garber was born in Illinois in 1955, to Jean and Harry Garber.{{Cite web |last1=Ben-David |first1=Ricky |last2=Magid |first2=Jacob |date=January 4, 2024 |title=Harvard taps Jewish provost who lamented school's failure to denounce Hamas as interim president |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/harvard-taps-jewish-provost-who-lamented-schools-failure-to-denounce-hamas-as-interim-president/ |website=The Times of Israel}} He grew up in Rock Island, Illinois.{{cite web|url=https://cap.stanford.edu/profiles/viewCV?facultyId=4662&name=Alan_Garber|title=Alan Michael Garber|publisher=Stanford University|access-date=June 10, 2019}}

Garber received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in economics in 1976, a Master of Arts in economics in 1977, and a PhD in economics in 1982. While pursuing his PhD at Harvard, he enrolled simultaneously at Stanford University, where he received a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1983.{{cite news|title=Alan M. Garber Appointed Provost|url=https://harvardmagazine.com/2011/04/alan-m-garber-appointed-provost|magazine=Harvard Magazine|date=April 15, 2011}} He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Harvard Medical School-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston in 1986.

Career

Garber succeeded Steven Hyman as the provost of Harvard University on September 1, 2011. He served as provost until March 14, 2024, when John F. Manning took on the position on an interim basis.{{Cite web |last1=Haidar |first1=Emma H. |last2=Kettles |first2=Cam E. |date=March 1, 2024 |title=Harvard Law School Dean John Manning '82 Named Interim Provost by Garber |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/3/2/john-manning-harvard-provost/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=The Harvard Crimson}} Later, Manning was appointed provost permanently.{{Cite web |title=John Manning ’82 Will Serve as Harvard’s Next Permanent Provost {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/8/15/john-manning-appointed-harvard-provost/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}

Garber is the Mallinckrodt Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Economics in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, and Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.{{cite web|url=http://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/faculty/affiliated/alan-m-garber-md-phd|title=Alan M. Garber MD, PhD - Health Care Policy - Harvard Medical School|website=Hcp.med.harvard.edu|date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=June 10, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nber.org/people/alan_garber|title=Alan M. Garber|website=Nber.org|access-date=June 10, 2019}}

He succeeded Claudine Gay as the president of Harvard University.{{Cite web |last1=Haidar |first1=Emma H. |last2=Kettles |first2=Cam E. |date=August 3, 2024 |title=Alan Garber '76 is Harvard's 31st President, Search for Successor to Begin in 2026 |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/8/3/alan-garber-confirmed-harvard-31st-president/ |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=The Harvard Crimson}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/3/claudine-gay-resign-harvard/| title=Harvard President Claudine Gay Resigns, Shortest Tenure in University History| website=thecrimson.com|access-date=January 2, 2024}} Initially appointed as an interim president, on January 2, 2024. On August 2, the Harvard Corporation announced that Garber would be the permanent president of the university for a fixed term of three years ending at the conclusion of the 2026–2027 academic year. He was installed as the 31st president of Harvard University on December 7, 2024, in a private ceremony at Menschel Hall, one of the Harvard Art Museums.{{Cite web |title=Alan Garber '76 Installed as Harvard's 31st President in Private Ceremony {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/12/9/alan-garber-installed-private-ceremony/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}

In 2025, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.https://www.amphilsoc.org/news/aps-elects-new-members-2025

Controversies

= Opposition to graduate student unionization =

In July 2016, the Harvard University Office of the Provost launched a web page in response to efforts to unionize its graduate students.{{cite news|url=https://harvardmagazine.com/2016/08/private-universities-must-recognize-graduate-student-unions-nlrb-rules|title=Private Universities Must Recognize Graduate-Student Unions|last=Bolotnikova|first=Marina|date=August 23, 2016|work=Harvard Gazette|access-date=December 21, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119112412/https://harvardmagazine.com/2016/08/private-universities-must-recognize-graduate-student-unions-nlrb-rules|archive-date=November 19, 2019|publisher=Harvard University}} On August 23, 2016, following the Columbia decision that restored union rights to teaching and research assistants, the provost office wrote in an email to students, "we continue to believe that the relationship between students and the University is primarily about education, and that unionization will disrupt academic programs and freedoms, mentoring, and research at Harvard." Following a decision by the regional director of the National Labor Relations Board that Harvard was in violation of the Excelsior rule, Garber defended the university appeal to the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.,{{cite news|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/11/3/garber-unionization-email-students/|author=Caroline S. Engelmayer|title=Garber Defends NLRB Appeal in Message to Students|work=The Harvard Crimson|date=November 3, 2017|access-date=June 10, 2019}} writing that the university "believes that the November 2016 election results, which reflect the votes and voices of well-informed students, should stand, and has appealed the Regional Director's decision to the contrary".

= Private corporation board memberships =

In October 2019, The Harvard Crimson reported that SEC filings record that since being appointed as Harvard's provost in 2011,{{Cite web |url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/10/24/garber-pharmaceutical-companies/ |title=Harvard Provost Garber Has Collected $2.7 Million From Pharma Companies Since 2011 {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |website=www.thecrimson.com |language=en |access-date=2019-12-04}} Garber earned more than $2.7 million by serving on the boards of directors for two pharmaceutical companies, Exelixis{{Cite web|url=https://ir.exelixis.com/news-releases/news-release-details/exelixis-appoints-dr-alan-m-garber-board-directors|title=Exelixis Appoints Dr. Alan M. Garber to Board of Directors|website=Exelixis, Inc.|language=en|access-date=2019-12-04}} and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.{{Cite web|url=https://investors.vrtx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/vertex-names-dr-alan-garber-provost-harvard-university-its-board|title=Vertex Names Dr. Alan Garber, Provost of Harvard University, to its Board of Directors|website=Vertex Pharmaceuticals|language=en|access-date=2019-12-04}} Garber responded that he had thoroughly disclosed his industry affiliations in conflict of interest forms for the university, and the companies indicated that his compensation was normal for board members.

= 2024 commencement =

The Harvard administration drew criticism for preventing 13 undergraduates from collecting their diplomas at the May 2024 commencement ceremony as a consequence of their participation in pro-Palestinian protests.{{Cite web |title=Outrage at Decision to Deny Diplomas to 13 Pro-Palestine Students Overshadows Harvard Commencement {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/5/24/commencement-overshadowed-proPalestine-outrage/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.thecrimson.com}} Nearly 500 Harvard faculty and students criticized the sanctions as disproportionate, unprecedented, and designed to stifle open discourse,{{Cite web |title=Nearly 500 Harvard Faculty, Staff Blast Sanctions Against Pro-Palestine Protesters in Open Letter {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/5/21/harvard-faculty-staff-open-letter-ad-board/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.thecrimson.com}} while others identified the action as an example of an "Exception" to free speech.{{Cite web |title=Suspending Student Protesters Would Be a Palestine Exception to Free Speech {{!}} Opinion {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/5/8/levitsky-frank-johnson-suspending-protesters-palestine-exception/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.thecrimson.com}} The decision was initially overturned by 115 faculty members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, but ultimately was reinstated by the Harvard Corporation in May 2025.{{Cite web |title=Harvard Corporation Rejects FAS Effort to Let 13 Pro-Palestine Student Protesters Graduate {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/5/22/harvard-corporation-overrides-faculty-vote-disciplined-seniors/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}

= Clash with the Trump administration =

On April 11, 2025, the Trump administration sent a letter to Garber threatening to cut back billions in federal funding unless Harvard accepted government demands that included requirements to “audit” the viewpoints of student body, faculty, staff, and to “reduc[e] the power” of certain students, faculty, and administrators targeted because of their political views.{{Cite web |url=https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Letter-Sent-to-Harvard-2025-04-11.pdf |title=Trump Administration Letter to Alan Garber and Penny Pritzker |website=www.harvard.edu |access-date=2024-04-16}} It also demanded several pro-Palestinian student organizations to be dismantled and banned. On April 14, Garber announced that it had informed the administration through its legal counsel that the university had refused the Trump administration's proposed agreement.{{Cite web |url=https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/the-promise-of-american-higher-education/ |title=The Promise of American Higher Education |website=www.harvard.edu |access-date=2024-04-16}} Garber's decision was hailed by many left-leaning political activists, including Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders.{{Cite web |title=Obama Says Harvard Sets an Example for Universities Resisting Trump {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/15/obama-harvard-trump-demands/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=www.thecrimson.com}} In response, the Trump administration began a series of legal assaults against the university, including asking the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax-exempt status of the university,{{Cite web |title=IRS Making Plans To Revoke Harvard’s Tax-Exempt Status, CNN Reports {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/17/irs-harvard-tax-status/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=www.thecrimson.com}} freezing 2.2 billion dollars in federal funding to the university,{{Cite web |title=Trump Administration Freezes More Than $2 Billion in Federal Funding to Harvard {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/15/funding-freeze-april-trump/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=www.thecrimson.com}} and barring the university from enrolling international students.{{Cite web |title=DHS Threatens To Revoke Harvard’s Eligibility To Host International Students Unless It Turns Over Disciplinary Records {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/17/dhs-harvard/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}{{Cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Michael S. |last2=Bender |first2=Michael C. |date=2025-05-22 |title=Trump Administration Says It Is Halting Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/us/politics/trump-harvard-international-students.html |access-date=2025-05-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

== Celebrated at 2025 commencement ==

At the 2025 Harvard commencement ceremony that coincided with a hearing of the lawsuit by the university against the punitive actions of the Trump administration, the "graduates celebrated their president, Alan Garber, with wild applause",Vance, Joyce, [https://joycevance.substack.com/p/everyone-lovesharvard Everyone Loves…Harvard], Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance, Substack, May 29, 2025 that reportedly reflected sentiments expressed at commencement ceremonies at similar institutions.

Personal life

Garber and his wife Anne Yahanda have four children.

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20240116193854/https://cap.stanford.edu/profiles/viewCV?facultyId=4662&name=Alan_Garber C.V. Alan Garber] Stanford University
[https://web.archive.org/web/20231208032813/https://provost.harvard.edu/people/categories/leadership-team Alan M. Garber - Provost] Harvard University
[https://web.archive.org/web/20240202095307/https://www.harvard.edu/president/biography/ Alan M. Garber - Interim President] Harvard University