Professor Desai will succeed Professor Tim Harper, who has held the role since 2020, on 1 October 2025.
A Professorial Fellow of Newnham College, Desai was Head of the Department of Sociology at Cambridge between 2020 and 2024. She received her PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she specialised in comparative and historical sociology.
Her work focuses on social movements, ethnic and gendered violence, theories of crisis, state formation and post-colonial transformations, with current research examining the persistence and transformation of caste in India in historical perspective.
“I am committed to raising the global profile of the humanities and social sciences at Cambridge, supporting cutting-edge cross-departmental initiatives that build on our vast and diverse expertise,” said Desai.
"This is a challenging time for universities, but equally there are opportunities to build and excel. There is much that we can do to increase the influence of our research locally, nationally and globally, drawing on the range of outstanding and innovative scholarship across the School.
"We have the resources to become a leading voice in discussions around pedagogy for the 21st century, harnessing the power of technology while remaining committed to the core values of a Cambridge education, namely, inclusive, globally relevant, research-led teaching.
“I will work to ensure that barriers to excellence in research and teaching are reduced, while ensuring that Council remains a site of collective and cooperative decision-making and deliberation.”
The Council of the School thanks Professor Tim Harper warmly for his exceptional leadership over the last five years, stewarding the School with meticulous care through challenges such as the emergence from the coronavirus pandemic, the marking and assessment boycott, developing a collective approach to financial planning, and some significant steps forward with the School’s accommodation. He leaves the School having fostered a culture of consensus, collaboration and community, which will be invaluable as we navigate another period of challenge and change in higher education.