ACLS Welcomes Christopher P. Thornton as Senior Director of US Programs

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to welcome Christopher P. Thornton as its new Senior Director of US Programs. He will officially assume the role on Monday, June 30, 2025.   

Working closely with ACLS President Joy Connolly and the ACLS Board of Directors, Thornton will serve in the senior leadership team and foster strong relationships with colleagues in all sectors of ACLS programming as well as communications, finance, fundraising, and member society and institution relations. The US Programs team oversees program development and operations for fellowship and grant competitions that award more than $18 million each year. 

“We are delighted and excited to welcome Chris Thornton to ACLS. In addition to the knowledge and networks he brings from his leadership experience with the National Endowment for the Humanities, his intellectual curiosity and diverse background in the sciences and education will enrich our efforts,” said Connolly in announcing the appointment. “Chris already knows ACLS and our work well. We look forward to welcoming him, confident that he will help scholars meet the many challenges of the day and help us advocate for humanistic knowledge in academia and in society.” 

Thornton most recently served as Director of the Division of Research Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Prior to that, he oversaw a $15 million grant program supporting science, education, and storytelling at the National Geographic Society. Chris has worked closely with government and non-government organizations in the humanities and social sciences and has led numerous strategic initiatives and evaluation efforts that refined the impact of grantmaking at the NEH.  

“I’m thrilled to be joining the ACLS at this critical time for the humanities and for higher education,” said Thornton. “ACLS has long been a convenor and catalyst for change in the national discourse on research and education in the humanities, and I look forward to joining this dynamic organization as it embarks on a bold and ambitious new Strategic Framework.” 

Thornton holds a PhD in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in early complex societies in Iran and Arabia, an M. Phil. in archaeology from the University of Cambridge, and a bachelor’s in archaeology and archaeometry from Harvard University.