Welcome to the Heller School!
As soon as you step foot in Heller, you’ll probably notice that we’re quite different from most other graduate schools. Heller attracts people who are deeply committed to positive social change both locally and globally. Our motto, “knowledge advancing social justice,” is a powerful idea, but to the people who work, learn and teach here, it’s much more than words.
Here, you’ll join a community of 500 faculty, staff and students (and 4,500 alumni) who are actively engaged with today’s most critical social policy issues. In the 2019-2020 school year we will celebrate our 60th anniversary: six decades of academic innovation, scientific rigor and excellence rising. As an institution and as engaged global citizens, we believe in continuous improvement.
My vision for Heller includes four key objectives:
- We push the boundaries in our academic programs. This doesn’t just mean making them the best; it means providing an interdisciplinary experience so that you can tackle the specific social policy challenges you care about.
- We prioritize high-impact research. Complex social problems require evidence-based, cross-disciplinary solutions. Heller’s 11 research centers, institutes and collaboratives are constantly finding new ways to work together.
- We connect our work with the world. We pride ourselves on engaging with local stakeholders, global leaders and everyone in between—but we are always looking to do more. Our academic and scholarly work is only as valuable as its reach.
- We strive to lead by example. Heller has a lofty mission and values, and we constantly push ourselves to “walk the talk.” We seek to be a community where all students, faculty and staff members can not only belong, but thrive.
Staying deeply rooted to our mission in today’s rapidly-changing policy landscape requires dedication and awareness—but we’re committed to doing the work. I welcome you to join our unique community. The world needs you more than ever.
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. Read the latest about David's research at The Fissured Workplace.
Weil earned a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, a master’s in public policy and a PhD in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. 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.
Read a profile of David Weil from the Winter 2017 Heller Magazine.
Recent News
- "What can Biden do to reverse Trump's assault on labor rights?" The Guardian, January 11, 2021
- "New rule lets companies treat some employees as gig workers" Marketplace, January 8, 2021
- "Albertsons is laying off employees and replacing them with gig workers, as app platforms rise" Washington Post, January 6, 2021
- "What Grocery Drivers and Fired ER Doctors Have in Common" Slate, January 6, 2021
- "3 Ideas Shaking Up The Worker Classification Debate" Law 360, December 18, 2020
- "The future of work … as determined by Uber?" NPR's Marketplace, November 26, 2020
- "Election 2020 Conversation with the Dean: Politics, Policy and the Path Forward" Heller News Release, November 20, 2020
- "Uber and Lyft are in an Election Day showdown with California. Massachusetts might be next" Boston Globe, November 9, 2020
- "Uber and Lyft in driving seat to remake US labour laws" Financial Times, November 5, 2020
- "Inside Scalia’s Pro-Industry Revamp of Labor Agency Enforcement" Bloomberg Law, November 2, 2020
- "Election 2020 Conversation with the Dean: 'The Act of Democracy'” Heller News Release, October 30, 2020
Recent Publications
- "Op-Ed: How to determine if a business is COVID-19 safe? Create a restaurant-style grading system" Los Angeles Times, June 9, 2020
- "Why Americans don't know about their right to paid sick leave" Newsweek, May 04, 2020
- "New Laws for the Fissured Workplace" The American Prospect, April 29, 2020
- "Why having fewer OSHA inspectors matters" The Conversation, March 6, 2020
- "Op-ed: Call Uber and Lyft drivers what they are: employees" The Los Angeles Times, July 5, 2019