Brock reappointed dean of Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science

Jeffrey Brock, the Zhao and Ji Professor of Mathematics, has been reappointed for a second term as dean of the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS), President Peter Salovey announced this week. His second five-year term will begin July 1.

The reappointment recognizes Brock’s success in advancing the school’s strategic vision, deepening interdisciplinary research priorities, and optimizing organizational structures for partnership and impact, Salovey wrote in a message to the SEAS community.

During his first term, Brock has overseen the implementation of historic university investments in SEAS, which in July 2022 began operating as an autonomous school with a distinct faculty. These investments, which are part of a broader effort to strengthen science and engineering, will provide for the hiring of over 30 new faculty positions and revitalize the school’s physical infrastructure.

In addition, planning for a state-of-the-art Physical Sciences and Engineering Building on Science Hill is well underway, and the university has unveiled plans for several other major construction projects supporting SEAS, Salovey noted. Lower Hillhouse projects will serve as a hub for the school at the heart of Yale’s campus, underscoring an ambition for it to be “integrally engaged with the broader university.”

“Under Dean Brock’s leadership, SEAS has made significant progress in enhancing the breadth of faculty research and teaching,” Salovey wrote. “For example, responding to the surge in demand for fields such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, he expanded the Computer Science department. His efforts led to welcoming eighteen new faculty members, nearly doubling the department’s size.”

In the past several years, Brock has also focused on philanthropic work that provides faculty with a primary or secondary appointment in the school and access to support for the development of novel, scalable solutions to real-world problems, the president added. The Roberts Innovation Fund, for instance, supplies awardees with seed grants, mentorship, and access to entrepreneurial leadership. The fund also represents a historic partnership with Yale Ventures — a campus-wide initiative that supports Yale’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem — and a unique new way for schools to engage with technology transfer.

“Dean Brock has placed similar emphases on collaboration across campus and additional learning opportunities for students and early-career investigators,” Salovey said. “He has developed new joint MS degree programs with the Schools of Environment, Management, and Medicine, as well as a new postdoctoral fellows program with the School of Architecture.”

In his message, Salovey expressed gratitude to those who shared comments about Brock during the reappointment review process.

“Many of those who contacted me spoke of his deep commitment to enhancing the school’s culture of collaboration and his wise leadership during a period of transition and growth,” he wrote. “I also received numerous notes about Dean Brock’s efforts to build stronger ties between SEAS and industry by cultivating strategic conversations with leaders from different sectors, including the Dean’s Invited Speaker Series.

“I am grateful to Dean Brock for his bold vision for SEAS, his strong record of accomplishment, and his willingness to continue serving in this role.”