Officials say they will need to continue raising money for the initiatives after the campaign, and bringing a development officer to the central administration to oversee the initiatives will help the effort.

"Because we are concentrating more attention on the initiatives in the last phase of the campaign and in the years beyond, the new assistant provost will work closely with [development office] and the initiatives," Associate Provost Dennis F. Thompson wrote in an e-mail message.

In addition to fundraising, Buffington will supervise planning and advisory councils for the different initiatives.

"Although we hope and expect that most will have a home in one of our faculties, they all need some assistance from our office," wrote Thompson, who is director of the program in ethics and the professions.

Buffington said he is looking forward to assuming his new position.

"I know what crossing disciplinary boundaries can accomplish intellectually," he said in a press release. "I also know how difficult it can be to facilitate such movement institutionally--especially in a decentralized environment like Harvard."

Buffington concentrated in English and Afro-American studies while at Harvard. He received a master's in American culture in 1994 from the University of Michigan.

He served as assistant director in the Harvard Alumni Association from 1994 to 1997.