Nakamura described the institute’s loss as Harvard’s gain.

“He will want Harvard to be the absolutely the best university it can be, and will help the president in pushing an agenda of change,” he said. “He can talk in acronyms, but he can also interpret science and the ideas of academia to the general public.”

In recent weeks, Hyman stood in the national spotlight, with interviews about post-traumatic stress disorder and bioterrorism in The New York Times and other national media outlets in response to the events of Sept. 11.

Both of Summers’ major administrative appointments—the other being Columbia University’s Alan Stone, soon to be Harvard’s Vice President of Government, Community and Public Affairs—have had significant service in Washington.

—Daniel P. Mosteller contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer David H. Gellis can be reached at gellis@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Catherine E. Shoichet can be reached at shoichet@fas.harvard.edu.