Dana Born

Dana H. Born (Center for Public Leadership (CPL); Faculty Chair, Senior Executive Fellows (SEF) Program; Faculty Advisor for the Black Family Graduate Fellowship and the National Security Fellows; Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government) is a retired Brigadier General with 30 years of service in the United States Air Force. Prior to coming to Harvard, from 2004-2013, she served two terms as the Dean of the Faculty at the United States Air Force Academy where she was also the Professor and Head of the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department. Previously, Dana served as an Exchange Officer with the Royal Australian Air Force, Assistant Director for Recruiting Research and Analysis for the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management Policy), Deputy Chief of the Personnel Issues Team for the Department of the Air Force (DC/Staff Personnel), Aide and Speech Writer to the Secretary of the Air Force, Squadron Commander for 11th Mission Support Squadron at Bolling AFB, DC and in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

A graduate with distinction of the United States Air Force Academy, Professor Born received her B.S. in Behavioral Sciences (1983), M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Trinity University, TX (1985), M.A. in Research Psychology from University of Melbourne (1991) and Doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Penn State University (1994). She received Penn State University’s Alumni Fellow Award (2012) and Distinguished Alumni Award (2018) and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Simmons College in Humane Administration (2007).

Born is the recipient of the Secretary of the Air Force’s Eugene M. Zuckert Award for Outstanding Management Achievement, Air Force Association’s Hoyt S. Vandenberg Award for outstanding contributions to Aerospace education, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit and Defense Meritorious Service Medal. She has earned Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Annual Teaching Awards 2014-2022 as well as the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Innovation in Teaching Award in 2017.

Dr. Born is a Distinguished HOW Moral Leadership Fellow; an Independent Director on the Midwest Reliability Organization Board (Energy) serving as the Vice Chair and Chair of the Finance and Audit and serving on the Governance and Personnel Committees; a Trustee on the Board for DeVry University serving on the Audit and Finance and on the Academic Quality and Student Success Committees, an Academic Advisory Board member for Chegg; as well as the United States Air Force Academy’s Falcon Foundation – serving on the Strategy and Governance Committee and previously on the Scholarship Committee; Supporting Director on the Air Force Academy Foundation Board; Past President of the International Women’s Forum-Massachusetts; Senior Consultant for the Core Leadership Institute; Peer Evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission; Member of the Women Corporate Directors, International Women’s Forum and Council on Foreign Relations; former Council Member on Boston Mayor’s Pay Equity Workforce Council; Advisory Board Member for ”With Honor;” and “A Child’s Guide to War” documentary, “Blue Star Families,” Senior Officer for Mission: Readiness; Past-President of the American Psychological Association (Fellow, Society for Military Psychology) and Fellow, Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology; and, previous Independent Director on Board of the Apollo Education Group having served on Compensation, Audit and Special Litigation Committees.