You’re about halfway through your second year as dean. As you look ahead, what are some of your top objectives?

We are continually innovating to make sure that we’re offering the best possible liberal education, and there are a variety of academic strengths that we can build on. For example, I am very keen on strengthening the connection to our collections and providing students even more opportunities to encounter works in person and up close. In addition, our science departments offer many opportunities for undergraduates to become involved in advanced research, and we can facilitate more of that. We are also working to enhance offerings in computer science and engineering.

While we pride ourselves on the breadth of a Yale College education, we also offer opportunities for students to develop truly specialized expertise while they’re here. This is an important dimension of the college. One way that this happens is through strong partnerships with Yale’s professional schools, which allow students to supplement their broad liberal educations with exposure to possible career paths that are of interest to them. I hope to continue, deepen, and grow those partnerships.

In addition to ensuring that the education we provide remains top-notch, we must sustain Yale College’s generous financial aid program and guarantee that every student can afford to attend Yale and thrive while they are here.

Support for scholarships is central to the For Humanity campaign. Can you talk about the importance of financial aid in Yale College?

We will continue to invest in financial aid to ensure that Yale College is accessible to every student who is admitted, regardless of need. Resources for financial aid help us continue to be a leader in welcoming and educating talented students from all backgrounds, and I am grateful to all donors who support scholarships for students. The diversity of our student body is part of Yale’s excellence, and we are committed to upholding it.

Today, the number of students who are eligible for the Pell Grant, a federal grant awarded to undergraduates with exceptional financial need, is nearly twice as high as it was a decade ago, and the number of undergraduates who are the first in their families to attend college has increased by more than 60 percent over the past ten years. We recognize that students from these groups may benefit from special support, so we have developed programs to help with the transition to college and give those in need additional financial resources for necessities like winter clothing.

In what ways is a broad, liberal education relevant today?

Many of the values of a liberal education are longstanding, if not eternal: cultivating leadership, ethical character development, citizenship. Yale students gain these skills through their coursework and within their residential college communities. Our students are exposed to a broad range of perspectives through their peers, their teachers, and the wide range of material they study. The liberal education in a residential setting allows students to learn the things necessary to succeed when they graduate, not only in their careers, but also as citizens, as members of the community, and as thoughtful people.