Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Michael D. Smith formally announced the appointment of science historian Allan M. Brandt as dean of the University’s largest graduate school, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).

The appointment ends an eight-month search that began when current GSAS Dean Theda R. Skocpol abruptly resigned from the post last March.

Brandt, a history of science professor who also holds an appointment at the Harvard Medical School (HMS), will make the move into University Hall to take his new post on Jan. 1.

In his announcement, Smith praised Brandt’s administrative experience and abilities as a teacher and researcher. Brandt is currently the director of the Program in the History of Medicine at HMS and previously served as the chair of the FAS History of Science department.

“With creative energy, enthusiasm, and a collaborative spirit, Allan will continue to move us forward in the areas of teaching, training, and funding for students in our many graduate programs, long-standing and new alike,” Smith wrote.

University President Drew G. Faust described Brandt as an “exceptionally thoughtful, collegial, and humane person” and added that she looks forward to welcoming him into the University-wide Council of the Deans.

“Allan Brandt will bring extraordinary intelligence, intellectual range, organizational savvy, and concern for the welfare of students to the vital role of leading the GSAS,” she said in a statement.

Brandt said he had several meetings with various members of the University during the dean search to discuss the issues facing GSAS and his ideas about its future. After several of these meetings, Smith met with Brandt late one afternoon to offer him the deanship. Brandt’s decision came soon afterward.

“It is obviously a big decision,” Brandt said. “So I told him how excited I was about the possibility of leading the graduate school, and then I got back to him relatively quickly after I had time to think it over.”

Brandt said that one of his top priorities at the graduate school is addressing the perennial issue of insuring that there is enough funding and support for graduate students.

“The issue of funding is tied to the broader issue of the well being of graduate students at Harvard,” he said.

With more funding, Brandt said he hopes to make a graduate education at Harvard more accessible.

“One of the big goals is to help create scholars and researchers who will, in the course of their work, create new knowledge. We need to make graduate school education accessible and attractive.”

In an interview with Skocpol two days before Brandt’s appointment, she stressed the need for the next GSAS dean to think beyond the bounds of FAS and operate within the University as a whole.

“One of the things that I really did as GSAS dean was to make it clear that the graduate school is the steward for the Ph.D. across the whole university,” said Skocpol, who has served as dean for two years. “I really liked Larry Summers’ ‘one university’ concept and I lived that and I think the next GSAS dean has to do that too.”

Brandt said he has benefited immensely from being involved in two faculties at the same time, and is eager to explore joint programs and opportunities for faculties to work together in relation to graduate education.

“I am really looking forward to working with faculty and students—across an incredibly diverse and excellent set of programs—to really enhance the work of the graduate school. It has always been at the core of what I have done as a member of the faculty,” he said.

As for his predecessor, Brandt said he only has tremendous respect.

“She will be a tough act to follow,” he said.

After stepping down, Skocpol said she will go on leave to work on the projects she was unable to address during her tenure as GSAS dean—one of which will be following the progress of the Patriots as they make their Superbowl bid, she said with a laugh.

And Skocpol had a few words of advice for her successor on Sunday.

“You better be able to work hard and you better be able to handle data and making presentations to lots of audiences,” she said. “But that’s typical for any dean.”

—Christian B. Flow and Clifford M. Marks contributed to the reporting of this story.—Staff writer Jamison A. Hill can be reached at jahill@fas.harvard.edu.