She said in March that she wanted to return to research and teaching. She will spend the next academic year on sabbatical, researching and writing a book in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ (FAS) history department, before she returns to teaching at the GSE for the 2006-2007 academic year.

“One of the reasons I’m going to be over at FAS is to stay out of my [GSE] colleagues’ hair” during the search for a new dean, Lagemann said.

Lagemann said that outgoing deans traditionally do not participate in the search for their successor.

“It’s not my decision or choice, and it should not be,” she said.

Like Lagemann, McCartney said that continuing her research remains a priority.

When she became academic dean in 2004, she negotiated with Lagemann to reserve one day a week for her scholarship, which includes a 16-year longitudinal study of more than 1,000 children.

And in appointing McCartney as acting dean, Summers provided her with funds for research assistance.

“I’m glad that the president thinks it makes sense for deans to be involved in research,” McCartney said.

—Staff writer Brendan R. Linn can be reached at blinn@fas.harvard.edu.