The 10-year-old Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations has begun a new era under the leadership of Harvard Kennedy School Professor Christopher Stone.

The Faculty Chair of the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management will serve as the second Faculty Director of the Center.

The Hauser Center “seeks to expand understanding and accelerate critical thinking about civil society among scholars, practitioners, policy makers and the general public.”

Since it was founded in 1997, the Center has been led by Professor Mark H. Moore, who will remain a part of the Executive Team as Faculty Chair.

The Executive Team, comprised of three members, will be completed today with the arrival of Executive Director Aviva Luz Argote.

While focusing primarily on international humanitarian efforts, Stone said he hopes to develop the Center’s presence on campus.

“We want to work collaboratively, do joint projects with many other organizations around the University,” he said. “We can provide workshops and opportunities for the students who are interested in either working in nonprofit organizations or creating their own.”

Stone’s appointment marks a step in the development of the Kennedy School, according to the school’s Executive Director John A. Haigh.

“This is an interesting kind of evolution of the Kennedy School in the sense that we’re committed to the nonprofit sector,” he said.

Stone’s appointment has been well received by the faculty and researchers at the Center.

L. David Brown, the associate director for international programs, lauded Stone for his “interest in building a number of new programs.”

According to the Hauser Center Web site, Stone plans to focus on five areas during his tenure: cultural organizations, international humanitarian organizations, justice and human rights organizations, nonprofits in China, and charitable foundations.