Jane Fonda Funds Center at Harvard

The Harvard Graduate School of Education will establish what university officials say is the first “comprehensive, interdisciplinary” center to study the role of gender in education.

The center, funded by a $12.5-million gift from actress Jane Fonda, will explore how children’s development and learning are affected by their gender.

The center will sponsor research, develop teaching standards and practices and help teachers and other educators address gender issues in their communities, officials said.

Fonda’s donation includes $2.5 million for creation of an endowed faculty chair to be named for psychologist Carol Gillian.

Gillian, who will play an instrumental role in launching the center, has done groundbreaking research on gender and human development over the last 20 years, Harvard officials said.