Shaun Harper

Founder & Executive Director

USC Race and Equity Center

Shaun Harper, a provost professor at the University of Southern California, is one of the nation’s foremost racial equity experts. Holding the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership, he is also the founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center. Harper’s distinguished career includes 12 published books, over 100 academic papers and more than $36 million in grants and contracts for DEI work. He has worked with more than 400 businesses, government and nonprofit agencies and educational institutions.

In addition to his prolific research, Harper has been quoted in leading publications and interviewed by prominent news outlets. He has testified before the United States House of Representatives and served on a former president’s “My Brother’s Keeper” Advisory Council. Harper’s unwavering commitment to equity earned him numerous awards and recognition as one of the nation’s most influential professors.