Drew Gilpin Faust, a historian and currently the head of Harvard’s small Radcliffe Institute has been named the new president of Harvard, the university’s first female president. A flurry of articles are coming out as a result of the press conference at 4pm at Harvard. She’ll start the job July 1. We’ll see if she’ll be able to succeed where Summers failed: winning the support of the faculty used to controlling their own turfs.

The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper which has led the coverage of this story (beating the Globe and the NY Times on the leaks during the search), lays out in this editorial all the hurdles that lie ahead for Faust (things that perhaps may have scared off other candidates): powerful, squabbling faculties that slow down or even prevent change being the big one. It’s an important issue for a university on the verge of many big changes: Allston, new science departments, new undergraduate curriculum. This will be a big job for someone who has never led a large institution.

But perhaps a historian who’s studied how major changes were brought about in the past will be the best person to motivate new changes for the future.

Congrats Dr. Faust, and most of all, good luck!

Update (Feb. 12): sounds like yesterday’s press conference, where Faust was first presented to the public as the new president, was quite an emotional event: hugs, kisses, standing ovation. Almost fit for a queen….