Thomas Alan Dichter

Thomas Alan Dichter is a Lecturer in the History & Literature program at Harvard University, part of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He advises undergraduates in American Studies and Ethnic Studies and has taught at Harvard, Boston College, and Amherst College. His academic background includes a bachelor's degree in English from Harvard (2008) and a PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania (2015).

His research and teaching center on incarceration, race, and state-sanctioned violence in the United States since the nineteenth century. He has published in journals such as J19: The Journal of Nineteenth-Century Americanists, American Literature, and Law, Culture, and the Humanities.

Professional Initiatives:

• Leader of the Harvard Formerly Incarcerated Leadership initiative, supporting graduate studies and leadership for formerly incarcerated individuals.
• Coordinating the Justice-Impacted Inclusion workshop series (2024-2025) to improve Harvard's inclusivity for those with criminal records.
• Prior involvement with Decarcerate PA, a coalition addressing mass incarceration in Pennsylvania.

Additional Roles:

• Program Assistant at Harvard Medical School's Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Partnership, supporting the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy.