Valerie O'Kane

Valerie O’Kane is the Director of Business Operations at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS) at Harvard University with responsibility for the IQSS budget & long term planning, IQSS contract and grant administration, IQSS compliance & space, as well as managing the general day-to-day operations of the IQSS Business Office.

Valerie is a seasoned financial professional who began her career at Harvard in 1992 as a staff assistant in the Central Payroll Office. In 1994 she moved to the FAS Extension School as the Payroll Administrator/Assistant Human Resource Officer. Valerie returned to Harvard Central Administration in 2002 as an accounting assistant and in 2004 became one of two payroll accountants for the University. Valerie was recognized as a Harvard Hero in 2005 as part of the University’s W2 Team. In 2007 she moved to the Harvard Kennedy School as the Financial Manager of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy. Valerie joined the Harvard College Observatory in 2018 as the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration. Valerie stepped in as the Interim Executive Director of the HCO for 1 year (2021-2022) and in 2023 was promoted to the Associate Director of Finance and Administration & Chief Financial Officer.

Valerie has received her Masters in Business Management from Harvard - Division of Continuing as well as two Harvard Graduate Certificates in Strategic Management & Business Communication. She received her Bachelors of Science and Business Administration from Suffolk University and her Associate Degree from Bay State College - Boston.