Peter Marsden Named New Social Sciences Div. Dean

Sociology Professor Peter V. Marsden will take over as the divisional dean of the social sciences effective Jan. 1, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael D. Smith announced in an e-mail sent to faculty members yesterday afternoon.

Marsden is the former chair of the sociology department, and his main  areas of research are social networks and organizations. He will succeed current Divisional Dean Stephen M. Kosslyn, who accepted a position at Stanford University over the summer to lead its behavioral science center.

“I am deeply grateful to Professor Marsden for agreeing to serve in this role,” Smith wrote in the e-mail.

Marsden, expressing anticipation for his tenure as dean, said he hopes to acquaint himself with the budget cutting issues that have consumed Kosslyn’s time as divisional dean.

He wrote that while he did not yet feel fully informed about the financial situation, “the division will certainly seek to use the resources we have wisely, while identifying opportunities for additional revenue streams as they present themselves.”

Since his appointment in 2008 as divisional dean for social science, Kosslyn established a Social Science Working Group, which was originally charged with the task of budget cutting but later expanded to seek alternative revenue sources.

As FAS now enters a period when endowment payout is increasing, budgetary pressure has been lifted slightly.

Marsden’s colleagues from the sociology department said that they believed he would flourish in his new role, especially given the greater financial flexibility.

Social Sciences Professor Lawrence D. Bobo, who has known Marsden as a colleague and friend for 15 years, wrote in an e-mail that he believed Marsden to be “an aboslutely dynamite choice” for the position.

“I cannot envision anyone who could bring to this position better judgment, a greater breadth of experience, or a deeper commitment to excellence in scholarship and teaching than Peter Marsden,” Bobo wrote.

In particular, Sociology Lecturer David L. Ager said that Marsden’s initiatives to “include diverse opinions” would make him a “truly great dean.”

“He is truly very respected within the department and within the social sciences,” Ager said.

According to Sociology Professor Michele Lamont, Marsden will be aware of the significant “unmet needs” of qualitative social scientists.

“He gets things done. He is a skilled administrator and tireless good citizen of this University. He listens carefully to what others say, want, and need,” Bobo added.

—Staff writer Gautam S. Kumar can be reached at kumar@college.harvard.edu.

—Noah S. Rayman contributed to the reporting of this story.