Known for her work in human development, Gilligan proposed new concepts of male and female psychology that challenged existing views of women as less psychologically developed than men. In 1997, the University created its first endowed chair for gender studies and appointed Gilligan to it.

David A.J. Richards, a professor of law at NYU Law School who has co-taught a seminar with Gilligan for the last three years, said Gilligan became "unhappy" with her position at Harvard because she could not move freely between disciplines.

"She feels a creative bottleneck. She felt she did as much as she could for the place," he said. "She has her own interests."

Richards said the seminar he teaches with Gilligan allows greater freedom. For instance, he said, the law students work with actors and directors to learn about gender in Shakespeare. Though the seminar is devoted to issues of women's "moral voice," the students also take voice lessons to learn about the physical aspects of voice, he added.

Gilligan, who is also a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, will wrap up both assignments at the end of next year and will leave for NYU.

The new Center for Gender and Education will not replace existing GSE initiatives on gender issues, according to GSE Dean Jerome T. Murphy.

But Murphy said the center will "extend and integrate" initiatives such as the Risk and Prevention Program, which focuses on early intervention for at-risk children, and the Urban Superintendents Program.