Wilson said being the only woman at the table sometimes had its advantages.

"They never forgot my name, and they never forgot my institution, even though there were other people doing the same things for their institutions," she said.

Before coming to Radcliffe, Wilson served as vice president for research at the University of Michigan, a job where she managed vast resources. But she said when Radcliffe called offering her its presidency, she jumped.

"You do not turn down Radcliffe," she said. "That's one of the powers that I have [as president]. I can call almost anyone and ask them to come to Radcliffe, and they come. It's really a very heady feeling."

Students attending the lunch questioned Wilson about the possibility of a merger between Harvard and Radcliffe, reportedly the subject of closed-door talks between the two schools for more than a year.

As she has throughout the negotiation process, Wilson spoke only in generalities about the future.

"We may collaborate more," she said. "Whether that is more formal or whether that remains informal as it is now...that is premature."