Health economist Garber installed as Harvard president

Doctor and health economist Alan M. Garber is set to lead Harvard University for the next three academic years, the university announced on Friday.

He takes on the role of president on a permanent basis, after serving as interim president of the institution since January. Garber stepped into the post earlier this year following the resignation of Claudine Gay during a political maelstrom over the handling of antisemitism protests on campus and plagiarism allegations.

He has been provost of Harvard for more than 12 years, and is an expert on health policy. He holds faculty appointments in medicine, economics, government and public health at Harvard, where he received his Ph.D. in economics.

Garber was a member of the faculty at Stanford for 25 years, before returning to Harvard, and was a professor of medicine, economics and health policy. He was founding director of Stanford’s Center for Health Policy and its Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research.

In a note announcing the appointment, Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker said: “Alan will carry forward as president through the 2026-27 academic year and we will launch a full and wide-ranging search for his successor in the late spring or summer of 2026.” She added: “We believe this plan will give Alan and his leadership team the opportunity to sustain and build momentum on a range of priorities and initiatives.”

Pritzker added that Garber’s tenure will also provide an “ample interval” for the Harvard Corporation to reflect on how best to approach the future presidential search.