Radcliffe dean to lead historic university in Scotland

With a clear vision, strong instincts, and an open mind, Louise Richardson made a name for herself transforming Harvard's Radcliffe Institute into one of the world's leading centers for advanced study, colleagues say.

Now, after 27 years at Harvard as a student, professor, and administrator, Richardson is facing a more personal transformation as she prepares to become principal of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The position is equivalent to being president of a US university.

Richardson will be the first woman to head the historic school and among the first women to lead one of the seven "ancient universities" of England, Scotland, and Ireland, which include Oxford and Trinity.

Colleagues say she has the experience, confidence, and charm to take on the post. "I think she has a great deal of self-confidence, so that she is extremely hard to push around," said Stanley Hoffmann, a Harvard professor who advised Richardson while she was earning her doctorate in government and later taught courses with her. "When her mind is set on something, which is usually the right thing, no one is going to be able to make her budge."

Richardson, whose appointment was announced June 3, said that while she will be the first female principal at the almost 600-year-old Scottish university, she intends to make her mark through her talents, not her gender. "I don't want to be known as a highly successful female principal; I want to be known as a highly successful principal, period," she said in an interview.

The executive dean of the Radcliffe Institute is known for her expertise in terrorism and political violence. She wrote an acclaimed book on the subject, "What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Threat," and has lectured on terrorism for students and government officials across the country.

She has been honored with local and national awards, including Harvard's Levenson Memorial Teaching Prize, which is given annually by undergraduates.

Richardson, who will begin in January, expects that the skills she polished at Harvard, sharp judgment, decisiveness, and persuasion, will come in handy.

"Being an administrator in an academic environment is different than running a corporation," said Richardson. "I'm used to trying to persuade and cajole faculty."

A native of Ireland, Richardson received a bachelor's degree in history from Trinity College, Dublin. She arrived at Harvard in 1981 as a graduate student.

Richardson joined the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in 2001 and has helped create fellowships for distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists. Colleagues said she launched programs that nurtured fellows' talents and organized lectures, seminars, and conferences that linked the institute to the rest of the Harvard community.

"She seems to almost have been born for this," said Phyllis Strimling, director of Radcliffe educational programs, who worked with Richardson for seven years. "She just seemed to arrive with so much talent and abilities from day one." Some members of the St. Andrews community say Richardson landed the job because of her dual focus on intellectual development and administrative structure, combined with her confident personality.

"Personally, I would say I'm extremely happy and impressed with her honesty and candor," said Andrew Mackenzie, a St. Andrews professor who was on the committee that hired Richardson. "She's a person with very high class in every way, and she exudes that when you meet her."

Jonnelle Marte can be reached at jmarte@globe.com.