Dear Faculty, Postdocs and Graduate Students,
With great pleasure I write to announce several changes designed to significantly increase our capacity to recruit and mentor outstanding postdoctoral trainees to Yale. I am also announcing measures to improve graduate student training in our Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) program.
Lynn Cooley, the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, has agreed to add the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to her current leadership portfolio. In addition to serving as the Dean of the Graduate School, Lynn will also serve as the Vice Provost for Postdoctoral Affairs. Dean Cooley is not only a prominent researcher in the School of Medicine but has also led the Graduate School through major transitions with great success. Her keen ability to translate our best ideas into solid achievements will provide insightful direction in this additional area. This change will emphasize the essential contributions of postdoctoral trainees at Yale and our commitment to their professional development.
Second, we are making an expanded commitment to training and career development support for postdoctoral associates and fellows across the university. A search is underway for a full-time leader to direct this effort. Our goal is to attract the most outstanding and diverse postdoctoral candidates available to Yale and provide them comprehensive early-career training experience while they develop their research expertise leading to the next stage of their career.
Third, we are strengthening the administrative leadership of BBS by converting its part-time director’s position to full time. We have asked John Alvaro, who currently directs the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to fill the new position of Associate Dean for BBS within the Graduate School. This expanded role will allow John to catalyze a number of new initiatives in BBS at a critical time for advancing Yale’s science strategy. John will continue to provide extensive support to training grant programs and to offer ongoing programs he developed for postdoctoral career development.
Finally, leadership of both the BBS office and Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will report to Dean Cooley as well as the School of Medicine Deputy Dean for Basic Sciences, Tony Koleske, extending Yale’s long-standing collaboration between the Graduate School and Medical School in promoting outstanding research training.
Please join me in congratulating Lynn and John as they transition into these new roles over the coming weeks and offering them support as they work to enhance Yale’s training environment in new and exciting directions.
Sincerely,
Scott Strobel
Provost