Lauren Kaminsky has been appointed the inaugural assistant dean for Arts & Humanities Education, Sean Kelly, dean of Arts and Humanities announced Monday.
The new role, which began last week, is part of Kelly’s efforts to revitalize the arts and humanities at Harvard, and implement key recommendations from the recent Arts & Humanities Strategic Planning Process.
Kaminsky will lead initiatives aimed at strengthening the student experience and supporting academic planning across the division, including reviewing the structure of concentrations and curricula, and doing outreach and planning career development opportunities for undergraduates.
“Lauren’s expertise in curricular innovation and her commitment to fostering an environment of scholarly rigor and open exchange have been invaluable assets to our division and to the broader Harvard community,” said Kelly.
Kaminsky was previously the director of studies for the Committee on Degrees in History & Literature, where she shaped one of the division’s oldest interdisciplinary concentrations into an inclusive, rigorous and forward-looking education and research. She has helped to define the future of arts and humanities at Harvard through her leadership in the strategic planning process and in implementing the new General Education program.
Kaminsky is the outgoing Interim Executive Director at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. There she led organizational transformations and advanced pedagogical initiatives, including civil discourse and explorations of generative AI in teaching and learning.
Kaminsky, who has a Ph.D. in history from New York University and a B.A. in English and history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said she is delighted to be stepping into the new role, particularly at a time when the arts and humanities have an enormous amount to contribute.
“I have been thinking about the possibilities for the Arts and Humanities Division for a very long time,” Kaminsky said. “I’m excited to talk with our colleagues and engage with them about what they feel is most urgent and vital. It is exciting to think about new opportunities for students to engage with the arts and humanities, but also new opportunities for faculty to do different kinds of teaching, especially interdisciplinary work with colleagues in other departments and maybe even other divisions.”
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