The Graduate Commons Program (GCP) at Harvard University Housing will say goodbye this spring to Faculty Directors Nancy Hill (HGSE) and Rendall Howell, as they begin their new chapter in Currier House as FAS faculty deans. Their warmth and generous hospitality fostered a genuine sense of home for Harvard University Housing residents and their families over the past decade.
As faculty directors, they were especially known for creating beloved GCP traditions. Their annual Thanksgiving gatherings brought together residents who couldn’t travel home and those experiencing the holiday for the first time, sharing family favorite dishes alongside a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to honor the complexity of our nation’s history. They hosted Super Bowl parties where international residents could learn about American football while everyone enjoyed Hill’s homemade chili. Their regular A.R.T. outings brought residents to shows like “1776,” “Life of Pi,” and “Wonder”; enjoying the magic of live performance and connecting them with this remarkable Harvard institution.
Hill and Howell’s commitment to residents was especially evident during challenging moments for the University and the broader world. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they helped the Graduate Commons Program find creative ways to support residents navigating isolation and uncertainty, sustaining community through virtual gatherings and small-group check-ins. A notable example of this was Hill’s instructional at-home pie baking event, which was hosted on Zoom with ingredients available for residents to pick up from GCP. This event provided a space for genuine learning and connection despite the physical distancing for our residents during the pandemic. During times of political turmoil and social tension, they provided spaces for reflection, conversation, and support, with deep care for residents’ emotional well-being.
“Professor Hill and Rendall have been extraordinary partners,” said Graduate Commons Program Associate Director Veronica Dea Santana. “They helped make buildings into communities by listening deeply to residents, celebrating milestones with them, and creating inclusive spaces where people felt seen and supported, especially during some of the most difficult years our campus has faced.”
As Hill and Howell conclude their service as faculty directors, the Graduate Commons Program is pleased to announce the appointment of Harvard Business School Professors Kathleen McGinn and Jeff Polzer as the new faculty directors. McGinn is a professor of business administration whose research and teaching explore negotiation, gender, work and family, and how relationships shape outcomes in organizations and communities. Polzer, also a professor of business administration, studies collaboration, networks, and how people work together effectively in teams and organizations. Both bring longstanding commitments to mentoring students and to building inclusive environments in which diverse perspectives are valued.
For McGinn and Polzer, the Graduate Commons Program brings together several longstanding passions. “Two of our favorite activities come together in the Graduate Commons Program,” they said. “First, interacting with graduate students is one of the best parts of our job. Second, we enjoy and value spending time together with colleagues, friends, and family. Over the past few years, we’ve enjoyed participating in activities hosted by the Graduate Commons Program and felt compelled to get more involved.”
Community has been a throughline in their personal and professional lives. “Both of us come from big families that remain central in our lives,” they noted. “But we’ve been far away from them (in Seattle and Wisconsin) during our 30 years at Harvard, so we’ve developed a set of deep friendships here in Boston. Kathleen’s been part of volunteer communities for most of her life and Jeff has always been involved in sports.”
Looking ahead to their new roles, McGinn and Polzer are especially eager to collaborate with residents in shaping the next chapter of GCP as Harvard Housing and Real Estate (HUHRE) opens its newest property 100 S. Campus Drive in Allston next fall. “We are most excited about getting to know students and their families, along with their fields of study. We also look forward to experiencing Harvard, Cambridge, and Boston together!”
“We are thrilled to welcome Professors McGinn and Polzer to the Graduate Commons Program,” said Lisa Valela, HUHRE’s director of Community and Employee Engagement. “Their combined expertise in relationships, collaboration, and community couldn’t be more aligned with our mission. We look forward to the energy, insight, and care they will bring to our Harvard housing residents.”
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