Gross’ visibility extended beyond his own department when he chaired the Quantitative Reasoning Subcommittee during the 1997 review of the Core curriculum. He also served on the Education Policy Committee, the Committee on the Study Out of Residence and the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid.

While Faculty universally applaud Gross’ service, some say he has yet to prove himself administratively.

“I have not seen him in administrative roles—he hasn’t had them,” said Professor of History of Science Everett I. Mendelsohn. “A good [department] chair can do things, but it is not a major administrative job.”

But Mendelsohn said that the skills can be learned, and Gross seems to be on a fast learning curve.

Gross said yesterday that he is looking forward to his new job.

“I am honored by the appointment,” he said. “It’s an amazing challenge, it’s a big job, but I am quite excited by it.”

But he admits that the next few months will not be easy.

“They key is to put in place an organization that continues our strong support of extracurricular life while continuing to go forward with the curricular review,” he said.

Though the details of how Gross will oversee House life, the Administrative Board and numerous other college committees while continuing to lead the curricular review have yet to be worked out, colleagues said they are confident he can keep all of the balls in the air.

“He is excited about the news, and knows what a huge amount of work this is. He would be insane to take it if he wasn’t really psyched,” Harris said.

But Harris says as long as Gross sticks close to his beginnings in the Science Center, all will be well.

“He must keep teaching—it is the one thing keeping him relatively sane.”

—Staff writer Jessica E. Vascellaro can be reached at vascell@fas.harvard.edu.