Radcliffe Institute’s Louise Richardson Named Principal and Vice Chancellor (President) of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland

Executive Dean of Radcliffe and Leading Authority on Terrorism to Assume New Post January 1, 2009

Jenny Corke
617-496-3078
jcorke@radcliffe.edu

Cambridge, Mass.—Louise Richardson, executive dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and one of the world’s leading authorities on the study of terrorism and political violence, has been named principal and vice chancellor (known as president in American universities) of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Richardson will be the first woman to lead the Scottish university, a post she will assume January 1, 2009.

"Louise Richardson is a gifted leader with a deep sense of commitment to academic values. Her outstanding management skills, her analytic abilities, her decisiveness and dedication have made her extraordinarily effective as executive dean of the Radcliffe Institute for the past seven years, while she has at the same time transformed the understanding of terrorism through her important intellectual work,” said Drew Gilpin Faust, president of Harvard University and former dean of the Radcliffe Institute.

In addition to Richardson, other members of Radcliffe’s leadership team have recently been tapped for high-level appointments. Faust assumed the role of Harvard’s first woman president in July 2007, and Barbara J. Grosz, Radcliffe’s former dean of science, was named dean of the Radcliffe Institute in April 2008.

“Louise has been a fabulous executive dean and it’s been a special privilege working with her. By remaining at the Radcliffe Institute through the end of 2008, she will help hire a new executive dean, ensure a smooth transition and leave the Institute in a strong position overall,” said Barbara J. Grosz, dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Richardson’s contributions to the Radcliffe Institute have been substantial. Since her arrival in 2001, she has helped transform it into one of the world’s leading institutes for advanced study. She has worked closely with fellows and helped launch new programs that tap fellows’ expertise; has participated in and led Radcliffe-sponsored seminars, conferences and lectures; and has helped build fruitful connections between Radcliffe and the larger Harvard community, as well as the local academic community. She has served as an extraordinary administrator—managing Radcliffe’s budget, infrastructure and staff with a keen eye on the importance of the Institute’s work as a whole—and has represented Radcliffe on Harvard's Administrative Council and other University-wide committees. She has also overseen a multiyear renovation project involving three of Radcliffe’s main buildings. The project, at the forefront of Harvard’s 'green' initiatives, has focused on preserving the buildings’ historical fabric, while making them accessible, sustainable and environmentally sound, with features such as geothermal wells that serve as heating and cooling sources. Two of the buildings have been LEED certified.

“It is with a deep sense of pride in all we have accomplished and with firm confidence in Radcliffe’s future that I leave this vibrant community,” said Richardson. “I am quite delighted and deeply honored to have been given this extraordinary opportunity to lead St. Andrews, an historic university whose long-standing commitment to excellence in research and teaching is admired around the world.”

A member of the Harvard community for 27 years, Richardson has been active with students, faculty, alumni and the larger academic community. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Trinity College in Ireland, she joined Harvard in 1981 as a student and earned her MA and PhD in government. She went on to serve Harvard for 13 years as an assistant professor and associate professor of government and for eight years as chair of the Board of Tutors and as head tutor in the Department of Government. Currently, she serves as a lecturer at Harvard Law School and a senior lecturer in government in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (where one of her courses has been the popular undergraduate course “Terrorist Movements in International Relations”). Her teaching has been recognized with both national and local awards, including Harvard’s Levenson Memorial Teaching Prize, awarded annually by the undergraduate student body to the best teachers at the University. She has also been a frequent guest speaker at Harvard Clubs throughout the United States, presenting her scholarship to Harvard and Radcliffe alumnae/i.

A political scientist by training, Richardson’s academic focus has been on international security with an emphasis on terrorist movements. Author of the critically acclaimed What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Threat (2006), she has spoken to audiences across the United States—including schools and universities, academic conferences, government officials and the security services—about the threats of terrorism and how to counter them. She has been called to testify as an expert before the US Senate and appears regularly in the media. Her other publications include: The Roots of Terrorism (2006), Democracy and Counterterrorism: Lessons from the Past (2007) and When Allies Differ (1996), and she has authored numerous articles about international terrorism, British foreign and defense policy, security institutions and international relations. Richardson serves on the editorial board of the journals Security Studies and Democracy and Security and is coeditor of the SUNY Press series on terrorism. Widely read and referenced, her scholarship has been recognized with awards from numerous organizations, including the Ford Foundation, the Milton Fund, the Sloan Foundation, the Center for European Studies, the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and the United States Institute of Peace.

Founded in the 15th century, St. Andrews is Scotland’s first university and the third oldest in the English speaking world. The university has a diverse and international community of 8,500 students and staff. Richardson will succeed current Principal Brian Lang, who will retire in December 2008.

Ewan Brown, senior governor of the Court of the University of St. Andrews said of her appointment, “Louise is a very highly regarded academic leader and scholar who has been courted by some of the world’s leading universities. We are delighted that she has chosen to accept the challenge of leading Scotland’s first university into a seventh century of academic achievement.”

Members of the media seeking more information about the Radcliffe Institute and Louise Richardson should contact Jenny Corke at 617-496-3078. For Richardson’s complete biography or other background information about her, e-mail a request to jcorke@radcliffe.edu.

The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University is a scholarly community where individuals pursue advanced work across a wide range of academic disciplines, professions and creative arts. Within this broad purpose, the Institute sustains a continuing commitment to the study of women, gender and society. For more information, please visit www.radcliffe.edu.