Brandeis University
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management

Dean David Weil

Letter From the Dean

Welcome to the Heller School for Social Policy and Management!

Heller attracts people who are deeply committed to positive social change both locally and globally—that’s what brought me here. We are a graduate school, a research institution and a convener of leaders in the social policy world. All combined, Heller is a community of more than 500 students, faculty and staff and over 4,300 alumni.

From the moment I got to know Heller, I was struck by the school’s motto, “knowledge advancing social justice.” It’s a powerful idea, but to the people who work, learn and teach here, it’s much more than words.

Every day brings another example of why our work here is so important. We are committed to finding new and meaningful ways to understand the problems we face (and the root causes underlying those problems), how those problems impact people and what can be done to address them. We tackle the biggest themes—inequality, poverty, health, and more—because they matter.

Just as important as understanding and engaging with social justice issues, we recognize the need to move our concepts into action. Cultivating those skills is what we do at Heller. It is work we do as a community, learning from one another in our research, academic programs, and daily interactions.

We live in challenging times when pursuing social justice has never been more important. We welcome you to join our community in that work.

Best wishes,

David Weil
Dean and Professor

Biographical Information

David Weil is an internationally recognized expert in employment and labor market policy. He co-founded and co-directed the Transparency Policy Project at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and has advised international organizations as well as government agencies at the state and federal levels. He is also the author of more than 100 articles and five books, including, most recently, "The Fissured Workplace: Why Work Became So Bad for So Many and What Can Be Done to Improve It," which examines how practices like outsourcing change business organizations and erode relationships between employers and their workers.

Weil earned a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, a master’s in public policy at the Kennedy School and a PhD in public policy at Harvard. Prior to joining the Heller School, Dean Weil served as the administrator of the Wage and Hour Division at the United States Department of Labor under President Obama. 

Recent News

Recent Publications

Chuck Rosenberg and Dean Weil

Conversations with the Dean 

Throughout the school year, Dean David Weil invites prominent public figures, policymakers and advocates in social justice fields to Heller for wide-ranging conversations. Recent conversations have featured former U.S. Attorney and senior FBI official Chuck Rosenberg, who discussed Robert Mueller's Russia investigation; Sen. Tom Harkin, who discussed his long career fighting for disability and labor rights; and former EEOC Chair Jenny Yang, who spoke about importance of changing workplace culture around sexual harassment. Each event is recorded and recapped. 

cover of winter 2017 Heller Magazine

Read a profile of David Weil from the Winter 2017 Heller Magazine.

We live in challenging times when pursuing social justice has never been more important. We welcome you to join our community in that work.