Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School is proud to welcome its 2024-2025 cohort of Senior Fellows and Research Fellows.
September 19, 2024 – Cambridge, MA – The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School is proud to welcome its 2024-2025 cohort of Senior Fellows, Research Fellows, and Visiting Scholars.
This fall, the Center is excited to introduce over fifty new fellows and visiting scholars from diverse backgrounds. These distinguished individuals include accomplished scholars and former high-level executives from the public and private sectors, each bringing a wealth of experience, practical knowledge, and invaluable insights from their leadership roles.
In addition to senior fellows, the Center welcomes several visiting scholars and a cohort of pre- and post- doctoral research fellows with expertise in fields such as national and international security, cyber and nuclear security, emerging technologies, climate change, applied history, and the energy transition.
"It is a pleasure to welcome all of our Senior Fellows, Research Fellows, and Visiting Scholars this fall," said Meghan L. O’Sullivan, Director of the Belfer Center. "Our Senior Fellows are distinguished leaders with deep expertise in critical global issues and years of high-level experience in government, academia, and business. They are a tremendous resource not only for our students but also for faculty members engaged in policy-relevant research.
"Since its founding 50 years ago, the Belfer Center has relied on a highly selective cohort of Research Fellows to further our mission of advancing rigorous scholarship and training future leaders. Each year, these Fellows bring fresh energy, enthusiasm, and a diversity of ideas, enhancing the strengths of the broader Belfer and Harvard Kennedy School communities.
"I look forward to the year ahead, confident that our fellows and visiting scholars will foster a dynamic exchange of ideas and contribute meaningfully to addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges."
Belfer Center Senior Fellow Carme Artigas is a Spanish entrepreneur and politician known for her contributions to the fields of technology and innovation. Artigas is co-chair of the UN AI Advisory Body and former Spanish Secretary of State for Digitalization and AI.
Belfer Center Senior Fellow Robert Blackwill is also the Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. Blackwill was formerly the Belfer Lecturer in International Security at Harvard Kennedy School, and has served as Deputy National Security Advisor for strategic planning under President George W. Bush; Presidential Envoy to Iraq; and U.S. Ambassador to India.
Belfer Center Senior Fellow Daniel (Dan) Poneman was President and Chief Executive Officer of Centrus Energy. In government he has served as Deputy Secretary of Energy; Acting Secretary of Energy; and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Nonproliferation and Export Controls at the National Security Council. He was previously a Senior Fellow with the Project on Managing the Atom and one of the first Research Fellows when the Center was launched.
Belfer Center Senior Fellow Daniela Schwarzer was the Pierre Keller Visiting Professor at Harvard Kennedy School in Fall 2022. A member of the Executive Board of the Bertelmann Foundation, she previously served as Executive Director for the Open Society Foundations Europe and Central Asia and Director and CEO of the German Council on Foreign Relations.
Belfer Center Senior Fellow Wendy Sherman is a joint fellow with Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. She was the 21st U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, the first woman in that position, and served in roles under three presidents and five secretaries of state.
Belfer Center Senior Fellow Fred Hu is Founder and Chairman of Primavera Capital Group, and previously was a partner at Goldman Sachs Group and worked at the International Monetary Fund. He is a Trustee of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS); a member of the Nature Conservancy (TNC)’s Global Board; and a member of the Global Board of Advisors at the Council on Foreign Relations. At Harvard, he serves on the Harvard University Global Advisory Council and the Harvard China Advisory Committee.
Belfer Center Senior Fellow Rochelle Walensky, an infectious disease clinician, served as the 19th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leading the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic. She was Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School (2012-2021), and is now a joint fellow with the Center for Public Leadership and Women and Public Policy Program.
Belfer Center Senior Fellow Moeed Yusuf is the Vice Chancellor (President) of Beaconhouse National University, Pakistan’s first not-for-profit liberal arts university. Yusuf previously served as National Security Adviser (NSA) to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and in the United States served as Associate Vice President of the Asia Center at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).
Fan Dai, a Senior Fellow with the Environment and Natural Resources Program and the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, is a longtime leader of California’s collaboration with China on climate, energy, and environment and of the state’s international policy and global climate partnership.
Ziad Daoud, a Senior Fellow with the Middle East Initiative, most recently was the Chief Emerging Markets Economist at Bloomberg. Prior to that, he was the Chief Middle East Economist at Bloomberg; Head of Economics at QNB Group; and an economist at Fulcrum Asset Management.
Ariel (Eli) Levite is a Senior Fellow with the Project on Managing the Atom. He is a Senior Fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he leads research and global engagement on nuclear energy and its commercial and military applications and on the digital/ virtual transformation.
David Nusbaum, a Senior Fellow with the Project on Managing the Atom, is a leading expert in nuclear engineering and international science diplomacy. For over 30 years, he held senior roles at the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, where he focused on non-proliferation and technological advancements.
General (Ret.) Jim C. McConville, a Senior Fellow with the Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy Program, was the 40th Chief of Staff of the United States Army. He has led combat organizations from the platoon to the division level and was the longest serving commander of the famed 101st Airborne Division. He is currently an Operating Partner for AE Industrial Partners.
Ezinne Uzo-Okoro is a Senior Fellow with the Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy Program. She is a former Assistant Director for Space Policy at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy where she led efforts to advance the nation’s commercial space launch capabilities, mitigate risk of space debris, and facilitate innovative approaches to on-orbit manufacturing facilities. Previously at NASA, she managed or contributed to more than 60 space missions and programs.