Behavioral Decision Science

Dr. Jennifer Lerner is the Thornton F. Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy, Management, and Decision Science at Harvard Kennedy School. Working at the intersection of psychology and economics, her research improves understanding of judgment and decision processes, yielding practical applications for reducing error and bias. The first psychologist in the history of the Harvard Kennedy School to receive tenure, Professor Lerner directs a Decision Science Lab, as well as the Leadership Decision Making executive education program. She also holds a variety appointments across campus, including within the Mind, Brain, & Behavior steering committee, the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects, the Psychology Department, and the hearing panel for matters brought forth under the University’s Interim Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy. Professor Lerner applies decision science on a variety of boards; she also took leave from Harvard in order to serve in the federal government (2018-2019) as the Navy’s first Chief Decision Scientist, reporting to U.S. Chief of Naval Operations. Learn more about her here.

Dr. Todd Rogers is Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. He is a behavioral scientist whose work supports student success and attendance, strengthens democracy, and improves communication. At Harvard, Todd is the faculty director of the Behavioral Insights Group, faculty chair of the executive education program Behavioral Insights and Public Policy, and director of the Student Social Support R&D Lab. He is also Senior Scientist at ideas42 and Academic Advisor at the Behavioural Insights Team. Learn more about him here.

Dr. Julia Minson is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. She is a decision scientist with research interests in conflict, negotiations and judgment and decision making. Her primary line of research addresses the “psychology of disagreement” – How do people engage with opinions, judgments and decisions that are different from their own? Much of Julia’s research is conducted in collaboration with the graduate and post-doctoral members of MC² – the Minson Conflict and Collaboration Lab. Learn more about her here.