Kelsey Simonson, Harvard Medical School’s new registrar, wants to dispel any perceptions that registrar’s offices are cold and unyielding.
Emphasizing a human touch, she and her staff members center their work on being empathetic and sensitive to each student’s individual situation. They believe complying with School and University policy can be done with heart.
Simonson came to HMS in July 2025 from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where she started at the front desk of student affairs, earned a master’s and doctorate, and ultimately became registrar and director of community standards.
She was drawn to the registrar’s office because she studied history as an undergraduate, and the work “is all history,” she said.
As chair of the young professionals caucus for a national association for registrars, she is active in involving more young people in the career. She’s proud that it’s the second oldest profession in higher education.
“First there were professors and then there were registrars,” she said.
HMNews caught up with Simonson to find out how the registrar’s office touches students’ academic journeys and what she brings to the role.
HMNews: What does your office do?
Kelsey Simonson: The registrar’s office is like the boiler room of HMS. You know that it needs to run, and you don’t necessarily go down to check the boiler every day — but you certainly notice when it doesn’t work.
We’re interwoven into all parts of the student experience — from orientation, when we provide new students with IDs, right through to graduation, when they receive their diplomas. We have transcripts for all our alumni, and we can duplicate diplomas if anything ever happens to the original. And we even serve former students well after death, because we keep student records forever.
Some of our duties include managing the inventory of courses, facilitating course registration, and releasing grade rosters.
For MD and MD-PhD students, we assign them to the hospitals and clerkships; manage lotteries for electives and rosters for sub-internships; automatically send transcripts when they apply to residencies; and work with their advisors so their academic, research, and clinical accomplishments are accurate on their dossiers.
For master’s students, we maintain course offerings and make sure grades come in on time.
Our office works closely with student financial services to make sure that students are billed correctly for their courses and that fellowship and grant funds are credited to their accounts. We handle loan deferment requests, so loans don’t go into repayment while students are here.
HMNews: What qualities do you bring to the role?
Simonson: I’m a collaborative person and recognize that everybody has skills to bring to the table. Every one of the seven people in our office brings an expertise and a perspective that I think is worth hearing as we work to piece things out together.
I’m not a very top-down leadership person. And I think that’s helped, because HMS is complex, always changing, and always open to new ideas about ways we can do things better.
HMNews: What do you like about working at HMS?
Simonson: The best thing so far has been the people. The staff and faculty understand our common goals and help execute them as a team. And they are kind.
HMNews: How does your office interact with and support staff, faculty, advisors, and deans?
Simonson: Our office is the last stop for student privacy, so we often get asked about the federal regulations that protect student educational records, known as FERPA.
I’m also on a lot of subcommittees for different phases in the curriculum, and I get asked questions about policy and how to apply it.
During these discussions, it’s important to keep the students’ perspectives in mind and ask questions like, “How does this affect the students’ schedules?” and “What about students who take a leave of absence?”
HMNews: Is there anything the registrar’s office does that might surprise people?
Simonson: Sometimes, we get requests from grandchildren who want to see their deceased grandparents’ transcripts. We’re like a micro-museum or a time capsule because our records go back hundreds of years.
HMNews: What do you want students to know about you and your office?
Simonson: We are here to help them. That goes for prospective students, current students, and alumni.
We’re happy to help students through their plans to make sure that they gel and meet all their requirements, so they graduate on time.
I really like meeting people and talking to students. So even if they don’t have anything pressing to talk about, I’d like them to drop by.
Our office is in Vanderbilt Hall and is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other times during the week we’re available on Zoom and email.
HMNews: What would you like our readers to know about you?
Simonson: I read an awful lot, and I’m someone who will be learning for the rest of my life.
Right now, I’m taking a class through Harvard Extension School on Native American history, because I just can’t get enough of all things history.
It’s valuable to keep looking at the world from different perspectives and understanding how other people experience life. If you stop doing that, you’re missing out on a whole lot.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
