Dana Born

Dana H. Born (Co-Director, Center for Public Leadership (CPL); Faculty Chair, Senior Executive Fellows (SEF) Program; 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 Presidentially appointed 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’s Alumni Fellow Award in 2012 and an Honorary Doctorate from Simmons College in Humane Administration in 2007.

Born has been the recipient of a number of senior level military awards including 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, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Active Duty Service Women Veterans Award. She has been honored with the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Teaching Awards 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 as well as the HKS Innovation in Teaching Award in 2017.

Dr. Born is a Trustee on the United States Air Force Academy’s Falcon Foundation – serving on the Strategy, Governance and Scholarship Committees; President of the Massachusetts Women’s Forum; member of Council on Foreign Relations; Senior Consultant for the Authentic Leadership Institute (ALI); Peer Evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission; member of Women Corporate Directors and the International Women’s Forum; Council Member on Boston Mayor’s Pay Equity Workforce; Advisory Board Member on “A Child’s Guide to War” documentary, Senior Officer for Mission: Readiness; Past-President of the American Psychological Association (Society for Military Psychology) and previous Director on Board of the Apollo Education Group having served on Compensation, Audit and Litigation Committees.

Publications

Academic Journal/Scholarly Articles

Born, Dana, William H. Hendrix, and Emily Pate. "Three Pillars of Organization Excellence." The Journal of Character & Leadership Integration (Winter 2017): 45-54.

Magazine and Newspaper Articles

Born, Dana. "Research: Character Counts." Harvard Kennedy School Magazine. Winter 2016, 9.

Outside Professional Activities

Transparent Engagement

Harvard Kennedy School is proud of its energetic involvement in the world. To better understand how to solve public problems by improving policy and leadership, we engage directly with policymakers, public leaders, governments, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses whose activities affect those problems. However, we recognize that such engagement can raise questions about perceived and potential conflicts of interest, so we disclose publicly the key professional activities of our faculty outside the Kennedy School.

Outside Professional Activities For Dana Born

Officer:

• President, Massachusetts Women’s Forum (MWF) [2016-present; Unpaid]
• Peer Reviewer, North Central Association, Higher Learning Commission [2010 - present; Paid]
• Senior Consultant for the Authentic Leadership Institute (ALI) [2014 - present; Paid]
• Senior Officer supporting Mission:Readiness [2016-present; Unpaid]
• Advisory Committee, Child’s Guide to War Documentary [2015-present; Unpaid]
• Advisory Board, With Honor [2017-Present;Unpaid]

Member:

• Women Corporate Directors (WCD)
• Member, Boston Mayor’s Women’s Workforce Council (WWC) [2016-present; Unpaid]
• United States Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation Trustee [2013-present; Unpaid]
• - Strategy and Governance Committee Member
• - Scholarship Committee Member
• Air Force Association (AFA)
• Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
• Peer Reviewer, Journal of Military Psychology International Women’s Forum (IWF) (May 2011/Jul 2013) [CO/MA; Unpaid]
• Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
• Admissions Committee (MPP), Harvard Kennedy School of Government
• George Fellowship Selection Committee, Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Recent Speaking Engagements:

• MIT Lincoln Labs - Invited Senior Leadership Luncheon Seminar: A Conversation on Leader(ship) in the 21st Century [2017; Paid]
• Harvard Summit on Excellence and Academic Inclusion in Higher Education - THE DEAN: Attention in the area! Including stories. [2017; Unpaid]
• Bump Williams Consulting - Leader(ship): Who and Why Are You? [2017; Paid]
• Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) [2017; Paid]
• Pharamavite, LLC - Leader(ship): Who and Why Are You? [2017; Paid]
• American Bankers Association - Who and Why Are You? [2017; Paid]
• Service Academies Global Summit (SAGS) - Academy Women Luncheon with Keynote Speakers Moderator
• National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) - Leader(ship): Who and Why Are You? [2017; Paid]

Past Member:

• Past Independent Director, Apollo Education Group (AEG) [2014-2017; Paid]
  
• Past-President, APA - Division 19, Military Psychology
• Joint Market Analysis and Research Committee, Sponsor
• American Psychological Society (APS)
• National Council on Measurement in Education (ACME)
• Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (OBTC)

Dana H. Born (Co-Director, Center for Public Leadership (CPL); Faculty Chair, Senior Executive Fellows (SEF) Program; 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 been honored with the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Annual Teaching Awards as well as the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Innovation in Teaching Award in 2017.

Dr. Born is a Trustee on the United States Air Force Academy’s Falcon Foundation – serving on the Strategy, Governance and Scholarship Committees; Supporting Director on the USAFA Endowment Board, Past President of the Massachusetts Women’s Forum; 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; Council Member on Boston Mayor’s Pay Equity Workforce; 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 (Society for Military Psychology) and previous Independent Director on Board of the Apollo Education Group having served on Compensation, Audit and Special Litigation Committees.