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Harvard College Volunteer Assembly 2026

Volunteer Assembly is a one-day, in-person gathering that brings together alumni, parents, and volunteers to connect with one another and engage with College leadership.

Register NowAbout Assembly

Date
October 24, 2026
Time
8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Location
David Rubenstein Treehouse, 20 Western Avenue, Boston, MA, 02134, United States
Category
Volunteer Opportunity
Attendance Policy
21+, Invite only, Registration required
Contact
Harvard Events Office | aad_events@harvard.edu
Add to Calendar 10-24-2026 8:30:00 10-24-2026 15:00:00 America/New_York Harvard College Volunteer Assembly 2026

Hosted by the Harvard College Fund (HCF) in partnership with the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), Harvard College Volunteer Assembly is an opportunity to connect with the Harvard community and explore what it means to serve as a Harvard volunteer. Attendees meet alumni from across generations and parents, engage with current volunteer leaders, and discover concrete pathways for involvement. The program also celebrates volunteer leadership, highlights opportunities to deepen impact on students, and strengthens volunteer engagement across the College community.



View more info at https://alumni.harvard.edu/programs-events/harvard-college-volunteer-assembly-2026

Please be sure to register if you haven't already.
Boston, MA
Harvard Events Office aad_events@harvard.edu MM/DD/YYYY

About Volunteer Assembly

Hosted by the Harvard College Fund (HCF) in partnership with the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), Harvard College Volunteer Assembly is an opportunity to connect with the Harvard community and explore what it means to serve as a Harvard volunteer. Attendees meet alumni from across generations and parents, engage with current volunteer leaders, and discover concrete pathways for involvement. The program also celebrates volunteer leadership, highlights opportunities to deepen impact on students, and strengthens volunteer engagement across the College community.

The HCF and HAA help make Harvard, Harvard. The Fund supports core priorities such as financial aid and transformative teaching and research, while the HAA connects alumni to the University and to one another. Volunteer Assembly offers a focused look at this work—and the vital role volunteers play in it. 

This year also marks a milestone: the 100th anniversary of the Harvard College Fund. For a century, volunteers, families, and friends across the Harvard community have helped move the College forward. Participation in events like this both honors that tradition and helps carry it into the future.

Volunteer Assembly attendee speaking with a staff member about how to volunteer

Who Should Attend?

Volunteer Assembly welcomes:

  • Harvard College Fund volunteers
  • Harvard Alumni Association volunteers
  • Current Harvard College parents
  • Any Harvard College alumni interested in becoming a volunteer

Whether you are deeply engaged already or just beginning to explore ways to connect, you have a place at Assembly.

A woman smiling in front of a red floral centerpiece.

What You'll Experience

Attendees can expect to:

  • Hear from faculty and University leaders: Learn about priorities for the year ahead, especially in support of research and teaching.
  • Connect across the Harvard community: Meet volunteers, alumni, parents, and students, and build relationships that strengthen your Harvard network.
  • Explore ways to get involved: Discover clear, practical paths to support Harvard through advocacy, outreach, volunteerism, and philanthropy—in ways that best fit your life.
  • See your impact: Leave with a stronger sense of how your engagement directly supports students and research advancements.

Want a glimpse of the experience? Watch the recap video from last year’s Volunteer Assembly.

Watch the recap video
Dean Bill Fitzsimmons speaks into a microphone

How to Participate

Registration is now open!

Complete the registration form by October 20 to let us know you’ll be in attendance. Then, explore the rest of the webpage to learn more about our faculty speakers and view the schedule for the day. We look forward to welcoming you to Volunteer Assembly.

Register Now
View Schedule

Speakers

Marissa Gredler

Marissa Gredler

Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Hopi Hoekstra

Hopi Hoekstra

Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the C. Y. Chan Professor of Arts and Sciences, and the Xiaomeng Tong and Yu Chen Professor of Life Sciences

Dave Johnston

Dave Johnston

Dean of Science

Ahmad (Mo) Khalil

Ahmad (Mo) Khalil

Hok Lam and Kathleen Kam Wong Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Samantha Matherne

Samantha Matherne

Professor of Philosophy

Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders

De Ying Professor of Art, Film, and Visual Studies and Director of Undergraduate Studies

Program
 

Saturday, October 24

David Rubenstein Treehouse
20 Western Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

8:30 a.m. | Registration and Breakfast

Start the day with breakfast alongside fellow attendees.

9:15 a.m. | Conversation with Dean Hopi Hoekstra

Hopi Hoekstra, Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, C. Y. Chan Professor of Arts and Sciences, and Xiaomeng Tong and Yu Chen Professor of Life Sciences

10:15 a.m. | Research Breakout Sessions

Get an inside look at the research faculty are pursuing and the discoveries shaping their fields. Attendees may choose one of the following sessions:

Decoding the Embryo’s Playbook: How Cells Build a Body (please note this session is at capacity)
Marissa Gredler, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Explore how individual cells work together to transform a developing embryo into a structured, living body with Professor Gredler. Discover how cells sense signals, change shape, move through developing tissues, and coordinate their behavior to guide growth and development. Through vivid examples and cutting-edge imaging, learn how researchers are uncovering the “playbook” cells follow—and what can happen when those processes go awry. The session will also consider how these discoveries may shape the future of regenerative medicine. 

Synthetic Biology Across the Tree of Life
Ahmad (Mo) Khalil, Hok Lam and Kathleen Kam Wong Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Join Professor Khalil to explore how scientists study and build biological systems in organisms ranging from microbes and plants to human cells. The session will consider what these diverse forms of life have in common, how their cells receive and respond to signals, and how scientists can adapt or reprogram these systems to create new functions. Along the way, discover how synthetic biology is helping generate new possibilities in medicine, biotechnology, agriculture, and sustainability—and offering fresh ways to work with the living world.

11:30 a.m. | Interactive Classroom Sessions

Step back into the classroom with a Harvard faculty member through an interactive session featuring a glimpse into one of their courses. Attendees may choose one of the following sessions:

What’s the Point of Literature? (please note this session is at capacity)
Samantha Matherne, Professor of Philosophy

What do novels, poems, and plays add to our lives—and why do we continue to read them? In this interactive session with Professor Matherne, explore ideas from philosophers alongside brief literary selections. Drawing on perspectives from the ancient world through modernity, consider how literature can offer pleasure, insight, empathy, beauty, and meaning. Come ready to read, reflect, and discuss what literature makes possible. 

Painting's Doubt: An Experiential Studio Class
Matt Saunders, De Ying Professor of Art, Film, and Visual Studies and Director of Undergraduate Studies

GenEd 1114: "Painting's Doubt" is a popular course that guides students in exploring painting as an embodied way of seeing, thinking, and relating to the world.  Although the conditions of the Volunteer Assembly don't allow us to actually pick up oil-laden brushes, Professor Saunders will discuss the thinking and structure of an 84-person studio art GenEd and lead attendees through one of the cleaner, hands on classroom experiences, investigating the interaction of color.

12:45 p.m. | Lunch Plenary: PhDs in Science with Dave Johnston

Over lunch, hear from the new Dean of Science for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), Dave Johnston, and FAS science PhD students through a series of short, TED Talk–style presentations and an engaging conversation. Learn what it’s like to be a graduate student at Harvard today, explore the potential impact of their research over the next 5–10 years, and discover why they chose Harvard.

1:45 p.m. | Dessert & Networking

Following the lunch plenary, join us for a dessert reception and connect with fellow attendees.

2:30 p.m. | Optional Campus Experiences

After the program concludes, explore more of Harvard’s campus at your own pace. Visit museums and galleries, take a self-guided tour, attend an athletics event or performance, and discover other ways to enjoy your time on campus.

While You’re on Campus

Collage of four photos showing event attendees listening, women in conversation onstage, a man networking, and audience members watching.

Parking

Complimentary parking will be available until 3:00 p.m. at the Soldiers Field Park Garage (111 Western Avenue, Allston). Please mention the Harvard College Volunteer Assembly to the attendant for complimentary parking.

Questions

Please contact the Harvard Events Office at aad_events@harvard.edu.

Event Guidelines

Harvard University Alumni Affairs & Development (AA&D) programs and volunteer opportunities respect the rights, differences, and dignity of others. Those taking part in AA&D activities are expected to demonstrate honesty, integrity, and civility and are accountable for their conduct with all members of the Harvard community.

Harvard University AA&D reserves the right to suspend services to—and to exclude from participation in AA&D programs—any person whose inappropriate behavior adversely affects the safety, well-being, and inclusion of community members. Our top priority is the health and safety of our guests. We ask that guests read all communications from the University regarding current policies and protocols. More information can be found on our policy page.

When attending AA&D events, you may enter areas where photography, audio, and video recordings will occur. By attending these events, you are granting permission to be featured or included in photos and/or video recordings, which may be used for educational, archival, or promotional purposes.