Ira Harkavy

Ira Harkavy is Associate Vice President and Founding Director of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania, and Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. His work focuses on university-community partnerships, democratic missions of higher education, and community schools. He holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Harkavy teaches in History, Urban Studies, and Africana Studies, and contributes to the Graduate School of Education. His research emphasizes the role of universities in addressing urban challenges, social inclusion, and participatory action research. He has authored/edited ten influential books on higher education’s societal role.

He chairs the International Consortium on Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and Democracy, and leads the Anchor Institutions Task Force. Awards include the Penn Alumni Merit Award, Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award, and an honorary degree. Under his leadership, the Netter Center received major accolades including the William T. Grant Foundation Youth Development Prize.

Harkavy’s work integrates academic research with community service through over 70 ABCS courses annually. His initiatives prioritize literacy, STEM education, health equity, and anchor institution strategies to foster mutually beneficial university-community collaborations.