The echoes of his resignation announcement had barely faded away before the speculation started. As the University embarks on its 27th presidential search, the possible leaders most frequently named are internal administrators with strong management and academic records.

But for the first time, those possibilities strongly reflect a University evolving in a more business-oriented, technological age.

Clark has been praised for bridging the gap between the business school--long a distant empire of its own--and the rest of the University. Popularly anointed the frontrunner, he is also known for his progressive thinking about technology. His administrative style is distinctly decentralized--and he is known for hacking away at red tape.

Fineberg, meanwhile, holds a relatively new position that--unlike a deanship--remains untested as a training ground for the Harvard presidency. Nevertheless, he is not far behind. His own interests and specialties, also focus on technology and science; he served as dean of the School of Public Health (SPH) for 13 years before his appointment as provost.

Both are widely regarded as superb candidates. But of course, things are rarely that simple. Although Clark and Fineberg have the home field advantage, Harvard politics make them more complex possibilities than they may initially seem.

Fineberg's current position may be more a liability than an asset, and Clark's business background makes some traditionalists shake their heads.

And these two are hardly the only names currently bantered around University boardrooms and conference tables. The list gleaned from people in the know suggests that only one thing is for sure: the Harvard presidential search committee's top prospects won't necessarily be coming from just the usual places. They will have to look far from Harvard's core--for example, at Stanford, to HBS and the Harvard Medical School (HMS).