Grosz To Lead Radcliffe

Computer scientist Barbara J. Grosz has been named the interim dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, President-elect Drew G. Faust announced Friday morning.

Grosz, currently dean of science at Radcliffe, will take office on July 1 after Faust, Radcliffe’s current leader, assumes Harvard’s presidency.

“Barbara has played a critical role in almost every aspect of the evolution of the Radcliffe Institute," Faust said in a statement.

"I have been impressed from day one with Barbara's creativity, drive, and ability to move comfortably between the most esoteric realms of science and the practical challenges of building a program from the ground up," she added.

"These are very exciting times at Harvard—extraordinarily so for cross-disciplinary efforts—and I look forward to being part of the team that will work with Drew and Provost [Steven E.] Hyman to advance the University's ambitious agenda," Grosz, the Higgins professor of natural sciences, said in the statement.

In 2005, Grosz chaired a task force focused on increasing the representation of women across the science and engineering fields in the wake of controversial comments by former University President Lawrence H. Summers. Summers suggested that biological differences might partially account for the underrepresentation of females in the top tiers of those fields.

Grosz's appointment is the first of several major appointments for Faust. Faust must still name leaders for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Medical School, and the Graduate School of Design.

—Check thecrimson.com for updates throughout the day.