 She took an MA degree in Political Science from UCLA in 1981, followed by a move to Harvard where she received a Master of Arts degree in Government in 1984 and a PhD in 1989 on government, relating specifically to the Falklands War and Suez Crisis.From 1989 to 2001 Richardson served as an assistant professor and then an associate professor in the Harvard Government Department.During this period she also served for eight years as Head Tutor and Chair of the Board of Tutors (Director of Undergraduate Studies) in the Government Department.