Christine Todd Whitman, a former New Jersey governor and head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Michael Gerson, a former adviser to President Bush, will be visiting fellows this fall at Harvard's Institute of Politics .

Whitman was New Jersey 's first female governor, serving from 1994 until 2001, when she was appointed EPA administrator, a post she held until 2003. Whitman is president of a strategic planning firm and is chairwoman of the political action committee, " It's My Party Too ." Her 2005 book of the same name called for moderation in the Republican Party.

Gerson, Bush's chief speechwriter in his first term and later a senior advisor, is known for adding a spiritual element to his writing for Bush. He left the White House this summer. Gerson is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, working on a manuscript on the future of conservatism.

Visiting fellows at the Institute of Politics meet with faculty and students to discuss their experiences and public policy issues. Gerson is to be at Harvard the week of Oct. 16; Whitman the week of Dec. 4.