McCartney and Harris to Receive Named Chairs

Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean Ellen Condliffe Lagemann announced today that two of the School's professors have received named chairs. Kathleen McCartney will become the Gerald Lesser Professor of Education, and Paul Harris will become the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education.

"Kathy and Paul are two of the world's foremost scholars on child development. Their work makes a tangible difference in children's lives each and every day," said Lagemann. "They are extremely deserving of this recognition."

McCartney joined the HGSE faculty in 2000. Her research focuses on the effects of early child care on parent-child relationships, a child's development, and a child's later success in transitioning to school.

Harris has been a member of the Ed School faculty since 2001. His work explores children's development of cognition, imagination, and emotion. He is currently researching how children balance first-hand observation versus second-hand information, and how well children understand different mental states.

The Lesser Professorship is named for HGSE Professor Emeritus Gerald Lesser, a pioneer in the field of child development. Lesser's work focuses on how visual media impact children. He joined the HGSE faculty more than 40 years ago and remains an important contributor to the school today.

The Thomas Professorship is named for Victor S. Thomas, an 1895 graduate of Harvard College. Upon his death in 1963, Thomas bequeathed to Harvard funds that support the professorships at the Ed School, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the Divinity School.