| Office of the Provost

Postdoctoral union election results

May 1, 2026

To: All Yale faculty and staff who supervise postdocs
Cc: University Cabinet, President’s office, Provost’s office, Deans’ offices

[Summary: In a postdoctoral union election held earlier this week, a majority of voters cast ballots in favor of union representation. The university will now recognize Local 33 as the exclusive bargaining representative for eligible postdocs and enter into negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement.]

Dear Colleagues,

On Wednesday, April 29, and Thursday, April 30, eligible postdocs voted by secret ballot on the question of union representation. As we shared last month, the election was held on campus and facilitated by the American Arbitration Association (AAA).

Election results

Last night, April 30, AAA counted and certified the election results. Out of the 1386 Yale-employed postdoctoral associates and postdoctoral research fellows eligible to vote, a total of 890 votes were counted. 859 ballots were cast in favor of unionization, representing 96.5 percent of the vote. These results will establish a postdoctoral bargaining unit at Yale, which will include all current and future postdocs with the academic rank of postdoctoral associate or postdoctoral fellow who are employed by Yale. Clinical fellows and associates employed by Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and/or Yale New Haven Health (YNHH) will be excluded from the union.

Contract negotiation

With the election results now verified by AAA, the university will recognize Local 33–UNITE HERE as the exclusive bargaining representative for eligible postdocs and enter into good-faith negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. The agreement will be based in part on the framework that Yale and the union previously agreed to, which includes commitments that are important to the university’s research and educational mission.

While contract negotiations often take a year or longer, Yale aims to reach an initial postdoc contract in under a year. We are fortunate that this process will benefit from the strong relationship already in place between the university and Local 33.

As a reminder, as is customary during contract negotiation, changes to the terms and conditions of postdoctoral employment, such as minimum compensation and benefits, will be paused until a union contract is ratified.

Some of you may have questions about how unionization impacts postdocs and the Yale community. Please refer to these FAQs, which will continue to be updated as needed, and if your question is not addressed, contact the Labor Relations team. Once a contract is reached, the university will provide faculty and supervisors with additional guidance and resources.

As the negotiation process takes place, please continue to refer to these guidelines for discussing unionization. We appreciate your contributions to a culture of respect and tolerance for differing viewpoints, and your continued support of Yale’s postdocs in their academic training.

Sincerely,

Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Lynn Cooley
Vice Provost for Postdoctoral Affairs
Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
C. N. H. Long Professor of Genetics and Professor of Cell Biology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Update on postdoctoral union organizing

April 20, 2026

[Summary: Eligible postdocs will vote on union representation on Wednesday, April 29, and Thursday, April 30, in an election facilitated by the American Arbitration Association.]

Dear Colleagues,

As we shared in our March 26 message, Local 33-UNITE HERE has campaigned to represent Yale’s postdoctoral associates and Yale-employed postdoctoral research fellows (“postdocs”) in a bargaining unit separate from the one representing Yale’s Graduate Workers.

Local 33 has collected signatures representing a majority of union-eligible postdocs. These signatures have been verified by an independent third-party arbitrator jointly engaged by Local 33 and Yale, therefore authorizing an election. Per the university’s Private Election Agreement with Local 33, the American Arbitration Association (AAA) will facilitate the election.

Over the last two weeks, Yale has worked with Local 33 and AAA to plan a fair and democratic election in which eligible postdocs will vote on union representation. The election will take place on Wednesday, April 29, and Thursday, April 30, with polling locations at the School of Medicine, on Science Hill, and on West Campus.

We expect to know the election results shortly after voting has concluded and the votes have been verified by AAA. If a majority of voting postdocs cast ballots in favor of representation, Yale will recognize the union and enter into negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. These negotiations will be guided in part by a framework to which the university and the union have agreed, which includes commitments important to faculty research and the university’s mission. If postdocs vote against representation, Yale will not be required to recognize the union, and the Office for Postdoctoral Affairs will continue to handle postdoc employment-related matters.

John Whelan, vice president for human resources, will soon communicate with all eligible postdocs to inform them of the election and encourage them to learn about unionization and make an informed decision. It is important that postdocs are aware of their right to participate in the election, as the outcome will be binding on all postdocs regardless of whether they vote.

As postdocs consider unionization, it is crucial that our community remains inclusive and respectful of all viewpoints. As faculty supervisors, mentors, and representatives of the university, please carefully review the Unionization Information Sheet on the Labor Agreements and Resources website, which includes guidance for faculty on what is legally permissible and prohibited conduct during a union organizing campaign. You may also find this set of Frequently Asked Questions helpful. Finally, we ask you to make sure that postdocs working with you are not prevented by their work responsibilities from participating in the election.

Please also note that, as is customary when a union election is announced, there will be a pause on changes to the terms and conditions of postdoctoral employment, including minimum compensation, until election results are certified and, if the results favor unionization, a union contract is ratified.

We appreciate your efforts to foster an environment in which postdocs can freely exercise their right to vote. Once the election has concluded and results have been certified, we will provide another update. In the meantime, if you have questions or would benefit from further guidance, please contact Yale’s Labor Relations team.

Sincerely,

Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Resources for teaching and learning with AI

April 14, 2026

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

Over the past few years, many of you have been actively engaging with the opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence presents in our classrooms as generative AI tools become more widespread. Across schools and departments, important conversations are shaping a growing set of shared practices for teaching and learning at Yale in this evolving landscape.

As you wrap up the semester and think ahead to the next academic year, we write to share a collection of new and updated resources developed by the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning in partnership with Yale faculty and students. These materials are designed to be adaptable and responsive to your experiences planning courses and working with students. As AI capabilities and tools are changing rapidly, we encourage you to consult Yale’s guidance and resources, which are regularly updated.

These resources reflect the varied ways AI is relevant to and used across disciplines, acknowledging that approaches effective in one field may not translate directly to another.

They include the following:

The Poorvu Center’s Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning support your decision-making and conversations about AI in the classroom. These guiding principles and observations were developed in consultation with Yale faculty across disciplines, including those serving on the Poorvu Center Faculty Advisory Board and the Provost’s Office AI Faculty Working Group.
AI-Resilient Assessment Resources provide information for grading, classroom assessments, and evaluation methods that are less vulnerable to AI use that circumvents learning.
AI Guidance for Students, developed with students working with the Poorvu Center, offers strategies to promote student learning with and about AI.

Several events this spring also offer opportunities to exchange ideas and tailor your courses, including:

The Course (Re)Design Institute (registration open through April 17) is a three-day program hosted by the Poorvu Center to support course design and revision.
The AI at Yale Symposium on April 28 convenes Yale faculty, staff, and students from across Yale to share innovations, applications, impacts, and critical perspectives related to machine learning and generative AI.

AI is prompting important questions about how and what we teach, how students learn, and how we assess their work. We hope you find these resources useful as you plan for the coming academic year, and that they support the creativity and rigor that define scholarship and teaching at Yale.

The AI at Yale website also offers information about AI resources, guidance, and opportunities, including those for many of you who are engaging, developing, and studying AI in your research and scholarship.

Thank you for your engagement and for the care you bring to your teaching. For questions or to continue the conversation, please contact Jenny Frederick, Associate Provost for Academic Initiatives, at jennifer.frederick@yale.edu.

Sincerely,

Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Jenny Frederick
Associate Provost for Academic Initiatives and Executive Director, Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning

Dean of David Geffen School of Drama at Yale and Artistic Director of Yale Repertory Theatre

April 7, 2026

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Evan Yionoulis as the Elizabeth Parker Ware Dean of David Geffen School of Drama at Yale and Artistic Director of Yale Repertory Theatre, effective July 1, 2026. Currently the Richard Rodgers Dean and Director of the Drama Division at The Juilliard School, Professor Yionoulis will return to Yale, where she began her career as a student and spent twenty years on the David Geffen School of Drama faculty.

A widely influential leader in acting education, Professor Yionoulis has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the student and faculty experience. During her tenure at Juilliard, she has overseen and instituted a wide range of endeavors, including the transition to a tuition-free M.F.A., creation of a teacher development fellowship program, establishment of a film initiative to help graduating actors prepare for roles on film, and supervision of a multi-million-dollar renovation to foster greater connection within the drama community. Since beginning her role at Juilliard in 2018, she has continued to teach every year, remaining active in training and mentoring the next generation of theater professionals.

Professor Yionoulis is also known for her extensive work directing new and classic plays at prestigious theaters across the country, including Lincoln Center Theater, the Mark Taper Forum, and Dallas Theater Center, among many others. She has collaborated with lauded playwrights, directing Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders, which was recognized with the Lortel Award for Best Revival, and the critically acclaimed world premiere of He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box. In 1998, she directed Richard Greenberg’s Three Days of Rain at Manhattan Theatre Club, for which she received an Obie Award, and in 2003 brought his The Violet Hour to Broadway.

In addition to directing works by others, Professor Yionoulis has written and directed her own original pieces for stage and film. With her brother, composer and lyricist Mike Yionoulis, she released the short film Lost and Found, which premiered at the Cleveland International Film Festival, and developed the multi-platform project Redhand Guitar.

Professor Yionoulis returns to Yale with a profound understanding of the David Geffen School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre community. From 1998 to 2003, she served as the Lloyd Richards Chair of the acting program, expanding both the curriculum and the faculty, and later held the role of professor in the practice of acting and directing. At Yale Rep, where she was a resident director from 1998 to 2018, she directed fourteen productions, including William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline and Richard II, Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder, and Guillermo Calderón’s Kiss. For more than three decades, she has taught on the faculty of Yale Summer Session, most recently offering master classes at the Yale Summer Conservatory for Actors. A highly committed teacher and mentor, she remains in touch with many of her former Yale students, who have gone on to accomplished careers in theater.

A graduate of David Geffen School of Drama’s directing program, Professor Yionoulis credits her training as formative to her understanding of the power of theater and the importance of ensuring that the next generation of theater artists, managers, and technicians have opportunities to develop their craft, expand their imaginations, sharpen their points of view, and increase their capacity to collaborate. Her experience as an undergraduate in Yale College—where she majored in literature with theater studies, participated in the Yale Dramatic Association, and became a founding member of Yale Musical Theater—profoundly influenced her career path. Her first full-length directing project took place in the Davenport College dining hall.

Professor Yionoulis has received numerous honors and recognitions, including a fellowship, a works-in-progress grant, and a statue award from the Princess Grace Foundation. In service to the theater community, she has participated in curriculum reviews for major B.F.A. programs across the country and offered workshops on plays by William Shakespeare, Henrik Ibsen, Bertolt Brecht, and Suzan-Lori Parks, among others. She has also served as an adjudicator on award and program selection panels for the Tony Awards, the Obie Awards, the National Endowment for the Arts, Fulbright grants, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, and more. Professor Yionoulis has also held numerous leadership roles with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and served as the organization’s president from 2019 to 2025. Her book Listening and Talking: A Pathway to Acting was published in 2023 by Methuen Drama.

In returning to New Haven, Professor Yionoulis will join her husband, Donald Holder, professor in the practice of design at David Geffen School of Drama and Tony Award-winning lighting designer. Together, they have two adult children and enjoy traveling and exploring the rich history and culture of other countries.

As we welcome Professor Yionoulis, we also recognize Dean James Bundy for his remarkable dedication to the David Geffen School of Drama and Yale Rep communities for more than two decades. His exceptional leadership has helped cement their legacies as world-class institutions committed to access, inclusion, and excellence. We are grateful that he will remain on the faculty and continue to teach at Yale. We also thank the search advisory committee, chaired by Professor Marc Robinson with support from Vice Provost Emily Bakemeier, and the many faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends who provided input on the qualities they sought in the next dean and artistic director.

We are delighted to welcome such a pathbreaking artist and visionary leader back home to Yale, and we look forward to welcoming Professor Yionoulis to New Haven in the coming weeks to meet with David Geffen School of Drama colleagues. In the meantime, please join us in congratulating Professor Yionoulis and celebrating the incredible impact of David Geffen School of Drama and Yale Rep, which will continue to thrive under her leadership.

Sincerely,

Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art

Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Postdoctoral union organizing

March 26, 2026

To: All Yale Faculty

[Summary: Local 33-UNITE HERE, which represents Yale’s Graduate Workers, has campaigned to represent Yale’s postdoctoral associates and Yale-employed postdoctoral research fellows under a separate contract. The university has secured the union’s agreement to a framework that would support the university’s research and education missions in any future collective bargaining agreement, should the union win the election.]

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past several months, Local 33-UNITE HERE, the union representing Yale’s Graduate Workers, has campaigned to represent Yale’s postdoctoral associates and Yale-employed postdoctoral research fellows (“postdocs”) under a separate contract. Local 33’s organizing efforts follow those at other institutions of higher education, including many of our peers, where postdoctoral unions have been established. Today, we write with an update on these efforts at Yale. Postdocs will receive information directly from Local 33.

A Private Election Agreement

Last year, Local 33 informed the university that it had collected union authorization cards from a majority of Yale-employed postdoctoral associates and postdoctoral research fellows. Based solely on these cards, the union proposed that the university recognize Local 33 as the postdocs’ exclusive bargaining representative. Yale declined to grant this recognition but suggested it would consider a private election overseen by a neutral third party. A private election process ensures that all eligible postdocs may vote by secret ballot on whether to designate Local 33 as their exclusive bargaining representative.

Through this approach, the university secured Local 33’s agreement to a framework that would support Yale’s research and education missions in any future collective bargaining agreement, should the union win the election. This is an outcome Yale could not have achieved through a traditional National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election process.

The framework includes commitments that are important and beneficial to faculty and the work of the university. Among other things, these commitments:

preserve the university’s core management rights,
decouple the postdocs’ contract period from that of the Graduate Workers’ contract,
maintain operational flexibility by ensuring postdoctoral employee schedules are based on the needs of their research project(s),
retain the university’s flexibility in making postdoc appointments and reappointments, and
protect university leaders’ and faculty members’ free speech rights consistent with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), including the right to speak with individual postdocs about unionization within the bounds of labor law.

Through this framework, Yale and Local 33 have also committed to considering certain terms found in the existing Graduate Worker contract that have been helpful to the university, including grievance procedures, fair treatment workplace accommodations, evaluations, and more, to help streamline any future collective bargaining process with postdoctoral employees.

What Comes Next

For an election to take place, the union must now present to a third-party arbitrator signatures representing more than 50 percent of union-eligible postdocs. This is a greater proportion than what is needed to authorize an NLRB election, which would require the signatures of 30 percent of eligible postdocs.

If Local 33 presents the required number of signatures, Yale will work with union leadership and the arbitrator to facilitate a fair and representative election this spring. If eligible postdocs vote in favor of representation, the university will grant the union recognition and enter into negotiations toward a collective bargaining agreement. If postdocs vote against representation, Yale will not be required to recognize the union, and the Office for Postdoctoral Affairs will continue to handle postdoc employment-related matters.

Guidance and FAQs

Additional details are available in the FAQs below, and we will provide updates as they become available. In the meantime, please review the unionization information sheet available under the “Training and Resources” section of the Local 33 Labor Agreement and Resources webpage, which provides important guidance about legally permissible and prohibited conduct during a union organizing campaign.

Thank you in advance for your continued commitment to supporting Yale’s postdocs and the university’s research and education missions. As our community discusses the possibility of postdoctoral unionization, please continue to promote civil, respectful dialogue that recognizes the contributions of all our community members.

Sincerely,

Scott Strobel

Provost

Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Lynn Cooley

Vice Provost for Postdoctoral Affairs

Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

C. N. H. Long Professor of Genetics and Professor of Cell Biology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

FAQs

What guidance does the university have for faculty?

Please refer to the unionization information sheet available under the “Training and Resources” section of the Local 33 Labor Agreement and Resources webpage.

What is a Private Election Agreement (PEA)?

A Private Election Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions of an election overseen by a neutral third party other than the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), usually an arbitrator, to determine whether eligible postdocs want to be represented by the union for purposes of collective bargaining. A PEA allows postdocs to submit secret-ballot votes indicating whether they wish to be represented by the union. While the election is not run by the NLRB, the procedures are similar, though the agreement permits the parties to tailor the election to their particular needs, separate from additional requirements imposed by the NLRB. PEAs have been used by a number of universities.

Why did the university agree to consider a private election?

In the absence of a Private Election Agreement, Local 33 would have likely submitted a petition for a union election to the NLRB. This would have left the university and union without an opportunity to discuss, in advance of an election, a framework to align any ultimate agreement with the university’s research and education missions. The university also wanted to ensure that postdocs retained their freedom to vote in a secret ballot election.

How will a private election be authorized?

In accordance with Yale’s agreement with the union, to authorize an election, a majority of the eligible postdoctoral population must sign cards indicating their desire for Local 33 to represent them. This is a higher standard than used in elections facilitated by the NLRB; to authorize those elections, only 30 percent of the population must sign cards.

If the union meets the required card threshold, who will run the election?

If the union meets the required threshold, the election will be run by a neutral, third-party election overseer.

How many votes will be needed for the union to win?

In accordance with Yale’s agreement with the union, the university will grant recognition to Local 33 if a majority of eligible, voting postdocs vote in favor of union representation.

What happens if the union wins the election?

If the union wins the election, the university will recognize Local 33 as the exclusive bargaining representative for eligible postdocs and will negotiate in good faith with the union over the terms of a collective bargaining agreement in line with the framework the parties agreed to.

What happens if the union does not win the election?

If postdocs vote against representation, Yale will not be required to recognize the union, and the Office for Postdoctoral Affairs will continue to handle postdoc employment-related matters.

Who would be eligible for union representation?

The bargaining unit would be limited to postdoctoral associates and postdoctoral research fellows employed (i.e., paid) by Yale. It will not include clinical fellows, whether employed by Yale School of Medicine (YSM) or Yale New Haven Health (YNHH).

What other institutions have postdoctoral bargaining units?

Postdoctoral bargaining units have been organized in many private institutions. Brown, Caltech, Columbia, Mount Sinai, and Weill Cornell Medicine have all entered into collective bargaining agreements with unions representing postdocs, and Albert Einstein, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Penn, Princeton, and Rockefeller are in the process of negotiating first contracts with unions representing their postdocs.

Kymberly Pinder reappointed dean of Yale School of Art

March 23, 2026

Dear Members of the Yale School of Art Community,

We are pleased to announce that the Yale Corporation has approved the reappointment of Kymberly Pinder, professor of art, as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Dean of the Yale School of Art for a second term of five years, effective July 1, 2026. This renewal recognizes Dean Pinder’s success in strengthening the school’s organizational structure, securing transformative support for the student experience, and forging strategic collaborations that elevate the school’s reputation.

In her five-year tenure, Dean Pinder has fortified the School of Art’s operational structure to support a robust faculty and student experience. Under her leadership, the school has grown its faculty and staff capacity, making it possible to open a dedicated space for Yale College art majors at 53 Broadway and to reopen 32 Edgewood as a gallery. Meanwhile, the graduate school curriculum has expanded to include instruction in key areas such as financial literacy and grant writing, improving students’ preparedness for lives and careers in the field. Additionally, a new faculty affairs portfolio has led to increased support for non-tenure-track faculty research.

Since 2021, the School of Art has enhanced arts education and community building. Under Dean Pinder’s leadership, the school has hosted Interdepartmental Day, offering to students and faculty courses, critiques, and programming that foster interdisciplinary learning and exchange. School-wide initiatives—including an annual reading exercise, convocation, and weekly wellness gatherings—have built community among faculty, students, and staff.

Dean Pinder has also demonstrated exceptional commitment to fundraising for financial aid and new academic opportunities. She has overseen the launch of an ambitious campaign to make the master of fine arts (M.F.A.) program debt-free for all students with demonstrated financial need, a vision that redefines access to graduate arts education. To date, she has raised $13 million and secured funding to support twenty scholarships and an additional twenty student opportunities, including awards and residencies for artists in locations such as Singapore, Lagos, and Italy. As of 2023, every M.F.A. student receives funds to help realize their thesis exhibition.

Across Yale and within New Haven, Dean Pinder has formed dynamic partnerships, positioning the School of Art as an active catalyst in local civic life and urgent global conversations. Most recently, she taught a class that culminated in Yale College students designing and installing a mural at the Yale Peabody Museum, drawing on contributions from New Haven residents. In collaboration with the School of Management, she also opened a new community gallery space at 63 Audubon. This new venue features community- and student-organized exhibitions and connects the university to New Haven’s vibrant arts district.

Dean Pinder’s commitment to community engagement is further exemplified by the School of Art’s collaboration with the School of the Environment, the School of Architecture, and the city of New Haven. With grant funding from Yale Planetary Solutions, these partners have installed public murals around the city, drawing attention to the disproportionate impacts of climate change on under-resourced communities. Their initiatives also include a mural-making apprenticeship program for local artists.

We are grateful to everyone who provided input to the reappointment review process. Many of you who contacted us remarked on Dean Pinder’s expansive commitment to creating community within the School of Art, at the university, and in New Haven. We also heard consistent praise for Dean Pinder’s visionary and inspirational leadership. Students specifically commented on her accessibility and advocacy on their behalf, and faculty, staff, and alumni commended her work toward the school’s goal of offering a debt-free M.F.A. and, eventually, a tuition-free program. Many remarked on her humanistic values and deep understanding of the significance of the arts in higher education and in the world overall.

Dean Pinder’s first term as dean has demonstrated her devotion to the School of Art community and its ongoing excellence. Please join us in congratulating her on her reappointment and thanking her for her willingness to continue serving the school and Yale.

Sincerely,

Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art

Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Indy Burke reappointed dean of Yale School of the Environment

March 23, 2026

Dear Members of the Yale School of the Environment Community,

We are pleased to announce that the Yale Corporation has approved the reappointment of Indy Burke, professor of ecosystem ecology, as the Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean of the Yale School of the Environment (YSE) for a third term of five years, effective July 1, 2026. This renewal recognizes Dean Burke’s success in strengthening YSE’s position as a leader in interdisciplinary environmental research and practice, increasing support for students, and extending the school’s global reach.

Dean Burke, a noted ecosystem ecologist and biogeochemist, has brought a highly effective mix of the aspirational and the practical to her tenure as dean. In her second term, she has led efforts to advance next-generation environmental leadership and to expand scholarship support through two transformative programs. The Bekenstein Climate Leaders Program, founded in 2024, aims to increase the number of YSE and Yale graduates working to address the climate crisis and accelerate the pace and scale of climate change mitigation. The Three Cairns Climate Program for the Global South, which welcomed its third cohort of scholars to campus last fall, reduces barriers to advanced environmental education and training for emerging climate leaders from the Global South.

In recent years, YSE has also launched five new online certificate programs—in urban climate leadership, clean and equitable energy development, environmental data science, green chemistry, and strategic climate change communication—expanding educational and training opportunities for environmental professionals worldwide.

Under Dean Burke’s leadership, YSE—which celebrated its 125th anniversary last year—has reinforced its traditional strengths while fervently pursuing new areas of inquiry. Faculty appointments in tropical forest ecology, temperate forest resilience, and disturbance ecology and ecosystem dynamics have enhanced YSE’s historic expertise in forest and ecosystem science. Additional faculty recruits in areas of emerging importance—including water resource management and policy, urban planning and data science, climate migration, and sustainable resource use—have enriched these programs. Meanwhile, Dean Burke has advanced the school’s commitment to building a world-class environmental justice program.

Dean Burke has also led YSE in forging new strategic partnerships and developing the knowledge and leadership needed to address today’s urgent global challenges. Interdisciplinary teams across YSE have worked with external partners to advance the scientific integrity of voluntary carbon markets, develop a comprehensive sustainability agenda for the international trade system, and mitigate the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence. YSE continues to grow its urban, environmental data science, and environmental communications initiatives, increase support for its doctoral program, facilitate the school’s expansion into the Prospect Street wing of Osborn Memorial Laboratories, and cultivate its expertise across the broad field of climate science.

We thank all of you who provided input on the reappointment review process. Based on your comments, there is a clear consensus, both within and beyond the YSE community, that Dean Burke has been an outstanding and “transformative” leader. Colleagues noted her prioritization of research excellence, her mentorship of junior faculty, and her exceptional success in raising the school’s national and international profile. Others expressed deep appreciation for Dean Burke’s thoughtful and collaborative leadership style, and for her outstanding track record of fundraising to advance YSE’s mission.

We are grateful to Dean Burke for her willingness to continue providing visionary leadership to the YSE and Yale community. Please join us in congratulating her on her reappointment and in thanking her for her steadfast service.

Sincerely,

Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art

Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Deborah Berke reappointed dean of Yale School of Architecture

March 23, 2026

Dear Members of the Yale School of Architecture Community,

We are pleased to announce that the Yale Corporation has approved the reappointment of Deborah Berke, J.M. Hoppin Professor of Architecture, as the Edward P. Bass Dean of the Yale School of Architecture for a third term of five years, effective July 1, 2026. This renewal recognizes Dean Berke’s success in advancing the school’s impact on students, the Yale and New Haven community, and the future of the architecture profession.

Over the past decade, Dean Berke has deeply influenced the direction of architectural education at Yale and demonstrated a particular commitment to expanding the School of Architecture’s connections to Yale College and the other graduate and professional schools. In 2019, the School of Architecture launched an undergraduate major in urban studies, attracting large enrollments in introductory classes and a strong cadre of majors. The program has connected undergraduates with students in the school’s master of architecture program and has created new pathways for graduate students to incorporate urban studies into their education.

In addition to deepening ties across Yale, Dean Berke has also strengthened the school’s connection to New Haven. Her support for signature programs such as the Jim Vlock First Year Building Project and the Yale Urban Design Workshop has increased student and faculty engagement with the city through the construction of affordable housing and historic preservation efforts. Recent projects have given students opportunities to develop skills in the field, build relationships with local non-profit clients, and address issues such as urban infill and the need for climate-resilient buildings.

Under Dean Berke’s leadership, the School of Architecture has extended its research and teaching to include the impact of architectural practice on the planet. In 2019, the school became home to the Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture, a faculty-led initiative connecting researchers from across the university to develop design methods that prioritize a sustainable built environment. The center now offers a doctoral research track that emphasizes interdisciplinary science and prepares students to engage with living ecosystems. In addition to seminars and studios focused on sustainable design, all School of Architecture courses integrate this topic into their discussions.

Dean Berke’s commitment to advancing the School of Architecture’s mission is evident in the robust support she has secured for students, faculty, and programs. Throughout her tenure, she has raised $135 million, resulting in a tripling of the school’s financial aid, progress toward meeting the demonstrated tuition needs of all students, and key endowment support for faculty, research, and the school’s hallmark centers and programs. New faculty positions in architectural sciences, design, urban studies, landscape, and history and theory have greatly expanded the school’s leadership in architectural education.

Notably, Dean Berke has continued the long tradition of the deanship by simultaneously leading an internationally renowned architectural practice. Embodying the school’s mission to cultivate leaders who shape the future through design, she has been recognized with the 2022 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education and the 2025 AIA Gold Medal—the highest honors in the United States for architectural education and professional practice, respectively.

During the reappointment review process, we heard effusive praise and deep appreciation for Dean Berke’s exceptional leadership from across the School of Architecture community. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni commented on her calm, steady presence during challenging times as well as her ongoing dedication to visionary and strategic thinking. Many of you remarked on the highly collaborative and inclusive environment that Dean Berke has created and praised her commitment to the highest academic standards for architectural education and scholarship.

We are grateful to Dean Berke for her dedication to the School of Architecture’s mission and her impressive record of accomplishments. Please join us in congratulating her on her reappointment and thanking her for her work to strengthen the school and Yale.

Sincerely,

Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art

Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Cross Campus in Winter

Responding to the Federal Government Shutdown

October 2, 2025

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

On Wednesday, October 1, the U.S. government entered a shutdown, disrupting operations across federal agencies and services.

This shutdown may impact some parts of our university community. Information on financial aid and student services; research grants and projects; immigration services, visas, and E-Verify; and travel is below. Please reach out to the listed resources for guidance on your specific situation.

The university will continue to monitor developments closely, and as the shutdown progresses, campus leaders will share additional updates that are relevant to the community.

Sincerely,

Scott Strobel
Provost
Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Financial Aid and Student Services

Pell Grants and other student financial aid awards will be available for disbursement, as most student financial aid programs are appropriated a year in advance.

Many federal contract staff who handle student loan services and collect student loans have been pre-funded, and borrowers are expected to continue repayment throughout a shutdown. Students with outstanding or incomplete FAFSAs—or other outstanding federal financial aid requirements—should complete and submit these forms as soon as possible.

We anticipate that Veterans Affairs will largely be unaffected, and veterans receiving education benefits should see no interruptions in funding. However, the Education Call Center (GI Bill Hotline), career counseling (including Veteran Readiness and Employment services), and Transition Assistance Programs will experience a lapse in function.

Students with questions about financial aid may contact their financial aid office.

Research Grants and Projects

Work funded by currently active federal research grants should continue if awards have unexpended funds. Electronic systems for new grant submissions and progress reports are expected to remain accessible, although agencies will not review applications until they reopen. Agencies may suspend work on research contracts on a case-by-case basis. Investigators will be directly notified if a stop work order is issued on a federal grant or contract.

Additionally, agencies will likely furlough program officers and suspend the review of new grant or fellowship applications. The Office of Research Administration has been communicating with deans and business offices to provide guidance and will continue to give updates to this community.

A small number of researchers are personally funded by grants from the federal government. These investigators will be contacted by their units if they are likely to be impacted.

Questions about research grants and projects may be referred to the Office of Sponsored Projects.

International Students and Scholars

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will continue to process applications. The Department of State’s (DoS) consular offices will continue to issue visas as long as visa application fee revenue is available. Processing delays may remain for both USCIS and DoS.

Employment-based Visas for Faculty, Postdocs, and Staff

The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification will suspend operations and will not certify Labor Condition Applications (LCAs), the first step in the processing of employment-based visas, such as H-1B visas. The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) may not be able to proceed with H-1B cases that have a pending LCA or require a new one, but USCIS can still adjudicate H-1B cases with an already-certified LCA.

International students and scholars with visa-related questions should contact OISS for assistance.

E-Verify

The E-Verify system, which allows employers to verify employment eligibility, will be inaccessible during a shutdown. Although E-Verify is suspended during a government shutdown, I-9 verifications for new hires can still be processed. The information will need to be input into the E-Verify system once the government reopens.

Questions may be referred to Employee Services.

Travel

Based on news reports, we understand that Amtrak will maintain operating service on the Northeast Corridor, and air traffic controllers and TSA (Transportation Security Administration) security staff will maintain operations.