Academic website examples: 3 professor websites and what makes them work
Three real professor websites from Carnegie Mellon, Santa Clara University and NYU Stern, and the design and content choices that make each one work.
Good academic websites lead with who the professor is and what they work on in plain language, give their books and research their own pages, show credibility through awards, media and clients, and make it easy for journalists, organisers and collaborators to get in touch. The three examples here, from Carnegie Mellon, Santa Clara University and NYU Stern, each put a different part of the professor's work first.
Key takeaways
- Decide what a visitor should notice first: a book, a body of research, or public impact.
- State the professor's title and field in plain language near the top.
- Give books and research themes their own pages, not a single long list.
- Show credibility through awards, media and named organisations.
- Keep the navigation short and obvious: About, Books, Research, Speaking, Media, Contact.
The best way to see what a strong academic website looks like is to look at a few. Here are three professor websites I designed and wrote, from Carnegie Mellon, Santa Clara University and NYU Stern, and the choices that make each one work.
Each takes a different approach, because each professor’s work reaches people in a different way.
1. Book-led: Professor Rahul Telang, Carnegie Mellon
Professor Rahul Telang is Trustees Professor of Information Systems and PhD Program Chair at Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College.
What comes first: his book. The homepage opens with Streaming, Sharing, Stealing (MIT Press, co-authored with Michael D. Smith), then introduces him and his work with the media and technology industries.
What makes it work:
- A clear hook. Visitors see the book and its argument before anything else.
- Research in three themes: digital media and streaming, copyright and IP policy, and security and privacy economics. That’s easier to take in than a publication list.
- Writing and commentary from outlets such as Harvard Business Review and Inc., which shows public impact at a glance.
- Short navigation: Home, About, Speaking, Book, Writing, Research, Contact.
Best for: professors whose book is the main way the public knows them.
2. Author and speaker: Professor Ravi Bapna, Santa Clara University
Professor Ravi Bapna is Dean of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University.
What comes first: his book Thrive (MIT Press) and its central idea, how AI is changing health, relationships, education and work, with a “Get your copy” button.
What makes it work:
- The book as a gateway. The homepage leads with the book, then shows the framework behind it.
- Credibility straight away: an award for his work in responsible AI and analytics sits near the top.
- Four clear paths: Research, Speaking, Education and Consulting, each with its own short description and link.
- A simple contact form that only asks for name and email.
Best for: professors who write, speak and advise, and want each audience to find its own route.
3. Impact-led: Professor Anindya Ghose, NYU Stern
Professor Anindya Ghose is the Heinz Riehl Chair Professor of Technology and Marketing at NYU Stern.
What comes first: who he is and why he matters, with his titles and major honours up front.
What makes it work:
- Two books, two pages. Tap: Unlocking the Mobile Economy and Thrive: Maximizing Well-Being in the Age of AI each have their own page, with awards and translations.
- Recent keynotes and awards in two side-by-side columns, which shows momentum at a glance.
- Consulting and advisory work named clearly, useful for companies looking for an expert.
- Complete navigation for a broad career: Bio, Books, Research, Consulting, Talks, Awards, Media, Contact and a downloadable CV.
Best for: senior academics with a long record of books, awards and industry work.
What all three have in common
| Telang | Bapna | Ghose | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What comes first | Book | Book and idea | Credentials and honours |
| Books have their own page | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Research grouped into themes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Speaking or talks page | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Media or writing shown | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Simple contact route | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
How to choose your approach
Ask one question: what do most people want when they look you up?
- If it’s your book, lead with the book, as on Telang’s site.
- If it’s your ideas, and you speak and advise, lead with the idea and give each audience a path, as on Bapna’s site.
- If it’s your standing in the field, lead with credentials, honours and recent work, as on Ghose’s site.
For a full list of pages and sections, see the professor website checklist, and for the whole process, how to make an academic website. For book pages specifically, see what the best author websites include.
For what’s included when I build one, see academic website design.
If you’d like to see which approach suits your work, I’ll design and write two sections of your site from your real work, free. Request your free sections.
Frequently asked questions
What should a professor's personal website include?
A homepage with a plain-language summary and photo, a research page, a page for each book, a speaking page if you give talks, a press page with bios and headshots, and contact details. There's a full page-by-page checklist in a separate guide.
Should a professor's website be different from their faculty page?
Yes. The faculty page is the university's short, official profile. A personal website covers everything else, such as books, talks and media, for a wider audience, and stays with you if you move institutions.
What platform should an academic website be built on?
Any platform that lets you use your own domain, loads quickly, works well on phones and is easy to update. The content and structure matter far more than the tool.