Jill Abramson joining Harvard as visiting lecturer

Former New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson is joining Harvard University as a visiting lecturer this coming school year, the university announced Thursday.

Abramson will teach undergraduate courses on narrative nonfiction in the fall and spring semesters, the school said.

Abramson was executive editor for the Times more than two years, and was the first woman to hold the post, before her abrupt dismissal in May. Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said at the time that Abramson's newsroom management style was the reason for her ouster. He strongly denied suggestions from critics that her gender played a role.

The Times elevated managing editor Dean Baquet to succeed Abramson.

Abramson, a 1976 Harvard graduate, said in a statement that she is excited to be returning to her alma mater.

"Narrative non-fiction journalism is more important than ever," she said. "Its traditions and how it is changing in the digital transition are fascinating areas of study."

Besides executive director, Abramson was an investigative reporter, Washington bureau chief, and managing editor for the Times during her years there, beginning in 1997. She previously was an investigative reporter and deputy Washington bureau chief at The Wall Street Journal and editor of Legal Times.

Abramson also has taught at Yale and Princeton and is author of several books, including "Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas" with Jane Mayer.