Theda Skocpol

Theda Skocpol is the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University, where she has been since 1986. She holds a joint appointment in the Departments of Government and Sociology within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Her research spans American politics, political sociology, social revolutions, and comparative historical sociology. Skocpol has served as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (2005–2007) and Director of the Center for American Political Studies (2000–2006). She has also held leadership roles in major academic associations, including the American Political Science Association and the Social Science History Association.

Skocpol earned her BA from Michigan State University (1969) and PhD from Harvard University (1975). Her work has been celebrated with prestigious awards, including the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science (2007), Woodrow Wilson Award (1993), and C. Wright Mills Award (1979). She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and American Philosophical Society.

Her research focuses on U.S. social policy, civic engagement, and comparative historical analysis of revolutions and welfare states. Recent projects include studies of U.S. higher education and federal policies in the Obama era. Skocpol co-founded the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) in 2009 to bridge academic research and public policy, now a national organization with over 900 scholars.

• Awards: Johan Skytte Prize, Woodrow Wilson Award, C. Wright Mills Award
• Key Works: States and Social Revolutions (1979), Protecting Soldiers and Mothers (1992), Obama and America’s Political Future (2012)
• Engagement: Founded SSN to translate academic research into public discourse