Hi everyone! My name is Thomas Tait – I am from Washington Township, NJ and proudly hail from a U.S. Marine Corps family (meaning I’ve spent substantial time in CA and NC). I am a senior in Eliot House (FDDE!) concentrating in Government (in the Public Policy program with a focus in foreign policy) with a language citation in Spanish. I am beyond excited to serve as a PCC this year and hope I can help you get the most out of your time with the Gov department and Harvard.
I spend most of my time in the Gov department studying the impact of individuals on the creation of foreign policy – particularly how senior level advisors impact the types of policies chosen by the White House. For my thesis, I examine this topic in the context of the Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, and Reagan administrations in their responses to various foreign policy failures. I am additionally interested in the creation of grand strategy, national security policy, and the relationship between civil rights and homeland security. Some of my favorite classes in the department have included GOV 1790: American Foreign Policy with Professor Kertzer (for whom I served as a CA in 2024) and GOV 1171: The Making of Modern Politics with Professor Hall.
Beyond academics, I am the co-representative of Eliot House intramurals (you will find me coaching or playing nearly every sport Harvard has to offer); a Campaign Associate with Government Accountability Project, a leading whistleblower nonprofit based out of D.C; and the Vice President of HU-SPARK, an education-focused student organization working with nonprofits fighting on behalf of children. I have spent time as co-chair of the Policy Program at the Institute of Politics and on the board of the Harvard Undergraduate Sports Lab. In my free time, I am an intense fan of all Philadelphia sports teams, an avid weightlifter, and connoisseur of various coffee shops in the area.
Please reach out if I can be helpful in any way or a resource in navigating the daunting environment of Harvard. As someone who comes from a background with zero connection to Harvard or higher education more broadly, I know that this environment can be overwhelming – so I am here to help as best I can. If you have questions regarding research (particularly in foreign policy), courses, or navigating the many resources here, please send me an email.