In the upcoming years, Pedersen hopes to broaden Harvard's curriculum.

"I am great believer in the ideas of liberal education. Harvard allows students to focus on their intellectual passions, even if that's not what they are going to do for the rest of their lives. This enriches students as intellectuals as people," she said.

Her empathy with the student population, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said, would help her in the deanship.

"I know that she is concerned about the student experience. As an alumna, she knows this place exceptionally well, from the freshman experience up through the appointment of senior faculty," Lewis wrote in an e-mail message, "and I expect she will assess many decisions and initiatives by their impact on undergraduates."

As the daughter of Lutheran ministers who was raised in Japan, Pedersen brings a unique perspective to the societal conventions that are her area of study.

After concentrating in social studies, she remained at Harvard to receive her master's and doctoral degrees. She began teaching in the History Department in 1988, and received tenure just seven years later.

An expert in European studies, particularly economic development and gender, she is primarily a historian but says she also considers herself a social scientist.