Georgene Herschbach To Become Associate Dean of Harvard College

Georgene Herschbach, who has served as the Registrar of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) for the past seven years, will become associate dean of Harvard College on July 1. She will have administrative and financial oversight of all College operations.

Before becoming Registrar in 1989, Herschbach served as co-master of Currier House from 1981 to 1986 with her husband Dudley Herschbach, Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science. From 1986 to 1989, she was assistant dean of Harvard College and director of special programs.

"I am thrilled to have Georgene join me in University Hall to help run the College," said Dean of Harvard College Harry R. Lewis. "There is no one who knows the College better. From her experience in Currier House, she understands the special importance of the House system in supporting undergraduate education, and from her years working with important committees such as the Administrative Board of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, the Admissions Committee, and the Educational Policy Committee, she has gained an intimate understanding of the forces shaping the experience of our students."

Herschbach will assume the responsibilities currently held by Martha Gefter, who will leave Harvard on July 1 to establish an independent consulting practice. Gefter, who holds an M.B.A. from Harvard, announced her intention to leave in January.

"Marcy Gefter has devoted 16 years to the loyal

service of Harvard College," Lewis said. "Her insights and planning skills have helped shape the success of the College. We will miss her intelligence and her calm and steady hand."

"Harvard is a unique and wonderful place," said Gefter. "I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in this great institution. My Harvard colleagues have been outstanding -- stimulating and fun to work with."

Herschbach said she was drawn to the job "because it opens for me a wonderfully broad professional landscape. This includes familiar and congenial territory, such as the Registrar's Office and the Houses, but also areas that are less familiar, such as the student service departments and the College financial system. I look forward to learning from my new colleagues in University Hall and to working more closely with Harry Lewis."

Herschbach holds an A.B. degree from Wheaton College and A.M. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard, all in chemistry. She lives in Lincoln and serves on the town's Finance Committee. She has two children: Lisa, a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard in history of science, and Brenda, currently a J.D. candidate at Harvard.

A national search is under way to find a replacement for Herschbach as registrar. Until the search is completed, Associate Registrar Thurston Smith will serve as acting registrar. "We are very fortunate to have someone of Thurston's experience and goodwill to fill in as acting registrar during the coming months," said Lewis.

The Registrar's Office publishes the annual course catalog, schedules classes, keeps records on some 10,000 College and graduate students, prepares transcripts for current students and alumni/ae, assists students with disabilities, and administers examinations, among other responsibilities.