SC Connecticut News

As President Peter Salovey prepares to return to the faculty, a Yale News series explores the university’s evolution since his tenure began in 2013, its momentum and continued progress, and Salovey’s enduring commitment to the university and to New Haven.

Since the earliest days of his presidency, Peter Salovey has emphasized the importance of helping students and faculty bring their ideas into the world and to bear on global challenges. His tenure has been marked by investments toward that goal.

Over the past decade, under President Salovey, Yale has launched innovation and entrepreneurship spaces like the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking and Yale Ventures, introduced additional funding for innovators, strengthened connections across departments and to industry, and deepened investment in the sciences and engineering. This growing culture of innovation has also helped spawn dozens of new startups, including over two dozen in New Haven in just the last five years as well as over 70 faculty-led ventures in Connecticut.

“At Yale, we are committed to supporting our faculty and student entrepreneurs in tackling the most critical challenges facing humankind,” said Salovey. “By nurturing connections across campus and fostering integrative approaches, we help create new approaches and technologies that can benefit the world, all while building partnerships with New Haven and creating new opportunities for our wider community.”

A decade of investment and leadership has led to a science renaissance across campus. Yale’s scientific endeavors during President Salovey’s stewardship have been comprehensive. From Science Hill to 100 College Street, Yale School of Medicine to West Campus, Yale scientists are doing field-leading work in planetary solutions, neuroscience, quantum science, and engineering. Planned projects will transform the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science and the Yale School of Public Health.

“Science at Yale is a university-wide endeavor — encompassing the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Environment; School of Engineering & Applied Science; Faculty of Arts and Sciences; and beyond,” said Salovey. “Our investment in the sciences reflects its fundamental role in understanding the world around us and meeting the most difficult challenges that face us.”

Under President Salovey’s leadership, Yale has launched bold initiatives for data-driven social science aimed at guiding domestic policy, addressing climate change among other pressing global challenges. The university has strengthened its social science faculty by hiring top scholars who have taken on leadership roles at Yale. It has enhanced social-science education by transforming departments such as Statistics into Statistics and Data Science.

“Social science research has the potential to shape policy and effect change on a global scale,” said Salovey. “That requires bringing together deep expertise on data, theory, policy; facilitating collaboration; convening leaders; guiding important conversations; pursuing insights into human relationships.”

During Peter Salovey’s presidency, there was significant commitment towards expanding humanities faculty across arts disciplines. A major renovation brought together previously scattered departments within Humanities Quadrangle inviting new connections across disciplines.

“Yale has long been recognized for its strength in humanities,” said Salovey. “By continuing building on that strength we affirm importance these studies face global challenges understanding human experience comprehending past.”

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