"The Civil War was first characterized by policies of inhumane negiligence in identifying the dead and missing," she said.

But over the course of the war, she said, different methods of identifying the lost and dead were used, including rough, inaccurate newspaper reporting, letters from other soldiers and commanding offices and crude forms of self-identification.

"While these soldiers could not preserve their own lives, they could at least preserve their names," Faust said. "To die without an identity was to die without humanity."

The transformation of attitudes towards the war dead, the dean said, spoke to "the power and persistence of hope for life and the benefit of information to help loved ones mourn and recover."

"The Civil War transformed death in both physical and psychological ways, defining responsibilities to the dead and their families," Faust said.

Alexandra Moravec '03 said she was "fascinated by the idea of people's hopes for the lives of their loved ones against all odds."

"I think Faust is an impressive speaker, and I'm glad she's going to be the head of Radcliffe--she's clearly very intelligent and knowledgeable," Moravec added.

Prior to joining the Institute in January, Faust was the Annenberg professor of history and the director of women's studies at the University of Pennsylvania. A leading historian of the Civil War and the American South, she is the author of five books for which she has won numerous prizes. In addition to her position as dean, she also holds a tenured Faculty appointment as a professor of history.