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Former New York Times editor Jill Abramson to teach at Harvard

Jill Abramson, whose dismissal from the New York Times initiated a national conversation about gender equality, will soon teach at Harvard University.
Former New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson
Jill Abramson, former executive editor at the New York Times waves after speaking during commencement ceremonies for Wake Forest University on May 19, 2014 in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Jill Abramson, the recently fired executive editor of The New York Times, will begin a new role teaching English courses at Harvard University beginning in the fall, the school announced Thursday.

Abramson, the first female executive editor in the newspaper's history, was fired from the company last month after less than three years atop the masthead. The surprise move raised questions about her compensation, gender discrimination, and management style.

Abramson, a Harvard alum, will join the staff as a visiting lecturer for the next academic year, according to a release from the university. She will teach undergraduate courses on narrative non-fiction for Harvard's Department of English.

"I'm honored and excited to be teaching at Harvard in the coming academic year," Abramson, 60, said in a statement. "Narrative non-fiction journalism is more important than ever. Its traditions and how it is changing in the digital transition are fascinating areas of study."

Previously, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., chairman of The New York Times Company, said Abramson's firing was a result of her management style, not gender discrimination. Dean Baquet, formerly the paper's managing editor, replaced Abramson and became the newspaper's first African-American executive editor.

Related: New York Times firing spurs debate on pay equity, sexism

Abramson had worked at the paper for 17 years. Her past journalism experiences also include roles at The Wall Street JournalLegal TimesAmerican LawyerTime Magazine, and NBC News. She has written several books and earned eight Pulitzer Prizes.

Following her release, Abramson delivered the keynote address during the commencement ceremony at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. She urged graduates to be resilient and told them she refuses to remove her tattoo depicting the "T" from the Times logo. She also has a tattoo featuring her university's signature "H."