America's Most Powerful Education Leader in 2025

Richard Larson featured on the cover of Education Eureka 2025, titled America’s Most Powerful Education Leader, wearing a navy blazer and smiling confidently.

Waiting in line is a universal experience, yet few stop to consider the systems behind it. For Professor Richard Larson, that seemingly mundane problem became the foundation of a remarkable career. At MIT, he devoted decades to understanding how systems function, and how they can be designed to serve people better.