Bigelow Professor of Ichthyology Karel F. Liem and his wife, Hetty, a genetic engineer, last week became the new masters of Dunster House, ending a four-month search to fill the post.

The Liems replace former master and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Sally Falk Moore and co-master D. Cresap Moore.

Liem's appointment, which took effect July 1, makes him the only acting master of the 12 houses who is a member of a minority group. During the search for a new house master this spring, minority students were vocal in their support of Liem.

"There will be a good deal of satisfaction among students that this has happened," said Assistant Dean for Housing Thomas A. Dingman '67 yesterday. Dingman said Liem's name was "high" on a short list of candidates suggested by the house for the postion.

Liem has been a professor of ichthyology, the study of fish, at Harvard since 1972. Hetty Liem works for a genetic engineering company based in Kendall Square.

Biology professor and Leverett House Master John E. Dowling '57, who serves with Liem on the advisory committee of the Harvard Foundation, said that the new Dunster master is one of very few minority house masters in Harvard's history.

Dowling said that the small percentage of minority house masters reflects the scarcity of minorities in the faculty. He added that the few minority faculty members are asked to do so much that they might not be willing to become house masters.

"For most minorities at Harvard, the demands are very considerable, more so than for the majority of the faculty. For them to give up a good deal of their outside interests to be a house master is probably more of a sacrifice," said Dowling.

Dowling added that Liem, whom he said he has known for many years, is "a very concerned faculty member. He will make an excellent house master," he said.

The Moores announced in February that they wereresigning so that they would have more free timeto travel and to "get on with our own work and ourlives," Moore said at the time.

Moore's departure means there are no womencurrently acting as full house masters.

Liem's appointment also makes him the fifthmember of the biology department to become a housemaster, making that department thebest-represented field among the houses.

Liem and his wife are currently on an islandoff the coast of Washington state where he iscomparing the development of live-born fish withthose who lay eggs, said Ernest H. Wu '82, a fifthyear biology graduate student who works with Liem.

The Liems could not be reached for comment.

Dowling suggested yesterday that thedisproportionate representation of the biologydepartment in the master-ships might be a "glitchin the system," but later quipped that it was partof a biology-professor conspiracy to dominate theglobe.

"They're taking over the world, starting withthe undergraduate houses at Harvard," he joked