Dear Yale College Community,
In November, I informed President Peter Salovey that I will be stepping down from my position as dean of Yale College when my term ends on June 30, 2022. He will soon be sending an announcement—delayed by the uncertain public health situation—to the entire Yale community. However, I wanted you to hear the news from me first. I have appended President Salovey’s message below.
My difficult decision is based on the following reasoning. Yale College is ably led by the heads, deans, directors, and staff members of the Yale College Dean’s Office, in collaboration with you all, whereas my laboratory is missing direction that only I can provide. Developments in brain imaging and artificial intelligence are advancing so rapidly that if I do not fully re-engage now, my research program will lose its momentum, which would be difficult to rebuild.
Serving as dean has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am enormously grateful to you for helping Yale College flourish over my term, especially through the pandemic challenges. Faculty colleagues, I’ve long felt privileged to be in the company of such distinguished scholars, and as dean, I’ve been inspired and humbled to see how dedicated you are to the education and well-being of our students. Staff colleagues, I appreciate how professional and unselfish you are in all your different roles; Yale cannot thrive without you. Students, I applaud your love for learning and your care for each other; I appreciate your understanding that even when life is difficult, as it has been for the past two years, Yale’s wonderful faculty, staff, and administration are doing their best for you.
The Omicron variant has presented new disruptions, but I believe that the most difficult days of the pandemic are behind us, and I am confident that you all will guide Yale College through the current challenges, as you’ve done so surely to date. In my final semester as dean, I look forward to restoring in-person learning and campus life; supporting your initiatives, both new and ongoing; and thanking you in person for your role in fulfilling President Salovey’s vision for an excellent and unified Yale.
Sincerely,
Marvin M. Chun
Dean of Yale College
Richard M. Colgate Professor of Psychology; Neuroscience; Cognitive Science