Arnold Howitt

Arnold M. Howitt is an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard University's Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), where he also serves as Senior Adviser to the Roy and Lila Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. He co-directs the Program on Crisis Leadership, focusing on emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, and intergovernmental policy implementation. His work spans executive education programs for senior officials in crisis management, including Leadership in Crises and Homeland Security, and he has co-founded initiatives like the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. Dr. Howitt’s research examines crisis management in the U.S. and globally, with a focus on cross-jurisdictional coordination, emergency response systems, and lessons from disasters like the 2015 Paris attacks, Nepal earthquakes, and Japan’s 2011 triple disaster.

He has held visiting faculty roles at Japanese universities and teaches part-time at Tsinghua University’s Schwarzman College in Beijing. His affiliations include the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. Dr. Howitt has directed major projects such as the Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness and advised international agencies on disaster recovery. He earned his AB from Columbia University and MA/PhD in political science from Harvard.