Looking to boost alumni relations and the university’s endowment, which ranks 74th in the nation despite being the fourth-largest independent undergraduate school in the country, Boston University President Robert Brown reached across the Charles River to fill one of the school’s top fundraising positions.

Brown named Scott Nichols, currently serving as Harvard University Law school’s Development, Alumni Relations and Communications dean, to the post of Development and Alumni Relations vice president, a job in which he will be responsible for dealing with foundations, friends of the university and anyone interested in making donations.

Harvard has the largest endowment of any school, totaling approximately $25 billion, more than 30 times BU’s $776 million endowment.

Nichols is scheduled to assume the position May 1.

The position is currently held by Christopher Reaske, who announced in 2004 that he would leave the university once someone was found to fill the position.

Nichols’s arrival marks the second time in a year that administrators from across the Charles came to BU, including Brown himself last summer.

Nichols is a 33-year educational-fundraising veteran and frequent author of publications on institutional advancement, according to a press release announcing the hiring.

I couldn’t resist the opportunity to join Bob Brown and the outstanding team at BU, Nichols said in the press release. The university’s future is so bright, and the prospects for advancement are tremendous.

Brown said in the press release he intends to set the agenda for Development and Alumni Relations, building upon the foundation Reaske set during his 10 years at the university.

This agenda will dictate many components of our strategic plan for development, Brown said in the release. It is already clear that one of the major foci of this plan will be enhancing communication with our alumni and increasing their engagement with the university.

BU spokesman Colin Riley said the stability brought to the Development Office by Reaske during his decade of work will allow Nichols to move on successfully from there.

We have about a quarter million alumni, and he is looking forward to support what President Brown and the deans strategic plans are and help support those in every way possible, he said.