As the search for the dean of the Kennedy School of Government approaches its one-year anniversary, sources say the University still favors U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services David T. Ellwood '75--although names of other serious contenders are being discussed by members of the school's community.

Faculty, staff and administrators continued pointing to flaws in the candidacies of other reported contenders, and nearly all signs indicate that Ellwood is being seriously considered.

Ellwood, who is Weiner professor of social policy, left his position in 1993 to serve in the Clinton administration. Several sources close to Ellwood have speculated that the job is his if he wants it.

"I think the student talent show this spring ought to be called 'Waiting for Ellwood,"' said one senior Kennedy School staff member.

But sources in the capital and at the Kennedy School added that a sensitive political situation in Washington has forced Ellwood to conceal whatever ambitions he might have.

As one of the Clinton Administration's point people on welfare reform, Ellwood would lose significant clout in Washington if word got out that he was seriously considering the Kennedy School job. Rumors to that ,effect abound in Washington, according tosources close to Ellwood.

Assistant Professor Thomas J. Kane, on leavefor the year at the Brookings Institute inWashington, has co-authored several publicationswith Ellwood.

Kane said he had spoken recently with Ellwood,but could not bring himself to ask the assistantsecretary about his Kennedy School prospects.

"I talked to him about a month ago, but hecouldn't tell me...so I decided not to ask him,"Kane said in an interview this week.

The official word out of Ellwood's office inWashington Is that he has no plans to leave.

Still, many Kennedy School sources havespeculated that Ellwood has been considered thetop choice since the beginning of the academicyear, but felt he could not take the job at thetime, due to the impending fight on welfarereform.

Numerous observers have said that Ellwood'smain dilemma is to balance his commitment to theadministration's welfare efforts with the allureof a Harvard deanship. Some of those observers saythat Ellwood is happy with his position inWashington.

"What I have heard is that David [Ellwood] isnot so [disillusioned] by the dialogue on welfarereform that he's ready to come back," said RonaldDavid, a lecturer at the Kennedy School.

Although Ellwood appears to be the University'sclear choice, several administration andWashington sources have told The Crimson thatLawrence Summers, a former Harvard economist whois currently U.S. Undersecretary of the Treasury,is another front-runner for the deanship.

But many of the same sources who suggestedSummers as a candidate seemed bewildered thatsomeone who appears so politically ambitious wouldmove into a relatively staid deanship.

Meanwhile, rumors that Mary Jo Bane, whoco-authored a major study with Ellwood, is stillin the running for the deanship are categoricallyfalse, said Bane's husband visiting professorKenneth I. Winston,

"That's about six months old," Winston saidyesterday. "She's not considering it. It was sixmonths ago that she was on [some kind of] shortlist."

Of course, the name of former professor JosephS. Nye, now an Assistant Secretary of Defense, isalways in the rumor mill, although many said thisweek they doubt that he would accept the postafter being passed over several years ago whenCarnesale was chosen to replace Dillon Professorof International Affairs Robert D. Putnam.

Finally, Robert D. Reischauer, who recentlyresigned as director of the Congressional BudgetOffice, has been named by some as a possiblecontender.

Reischauer, though, was dismissed by many atthe Kennedy School this week for his limitedacademic experience. (His father is Edwin O.Reischauer, former Harvard professor andAmbassador to Japan.)

Still others have mentioned Kennedy School'sAcademic Dean Alan C. Altshuler, a member ofRudenstine's advisory committee, as a possiblecandidate.

Albert Carnesale has been serving as both deanof the Kennedy School while President Neil L.Rudenstine searches for a replacement.

This winter Carnesale served as actingpresident, while Rudenstine took a leave ofabsence due to exhaustion, while filling both ofhis other posts.

Altshuler has been handling many of the dean'sresponsibilities as Carnesale splits his timebetween the school and Massachusetts Hall,Carnesale said in a recent interview