Expanding horizons: Alumni invited to help shape the future of Graduate School alumni engagement
Working in partnership with Dean Lynn Cooley, the Yale Alumni Association (YAA), the Office of Career Strategy (OCS), and the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), the GSAA Board strengthens connections across Yale’s global community of more than 30,000 Graduate School alumni. Its members play a vital role in helping students and alumni navigate career paths, expand networks, and celebrate the enduring value of a Yale graduate education.
A Year of Impact and Growth
The GSAA remains deeply committed to helping students explore opportunities both within and beyond academia. The past year was an especially vibrant period for the GSAA Board. Under the expanded Where Do I Go from Yale? (WDIGFY) umbrella, GSAA Board committees, alumni, students, and faculty collaborated on dozens of events, workshops, and new initiatives, including:
- 17 events (six virtual, two hybrid, nine in-person)
- 570 student participants and nearly 100 alumni contributors
- Partnerships with seven university staff and five departmental faculty coordinators
- Joint planning and programming with Graduate Student Assembly representatives
These efforts included alumni career panels, student workshops, mentoring events, and professional development sessions in collaboration with OCS, departmental faculty leaders , and the GSAS Office of Professional Development. Through programs such as Where Do I Go from Yale? board members share insights and experience that inspire students to pursue diverse and fulfilling professional paths.
Building Community Across Yale and Beyond
The board partners with local Yale Clubs to foster alumni connections around the world. Board members piloted alumni engagement initiatives abroad as part of their personal travels. In the spring, the board hosted a virtual networking session to foster new connections across generations of alumni, extending well beyond New Haven.
Welcoming Diverse Perspectives
The GSAA Board values diversity of background, discipline, and experience. With 30 voting members serving staggered three-year terms, the board seeks alumni from all divisions and career stages who are eager to contribute their expertise and creativity to Yale’s graduate community.
Together, we can strengthen Yale’s graduate community and ensure that our alumni connections continue to inspire, support, and endure for generations to come.
Two info sessions with GSAA leadership will be held in January. Applications must be submitted by February 1. The Nominating Committee makes its decisions each spring, with results announced by May. Board members serve three-year terms, which commence on July 1.
Applications take approximately 15–30 minutes to complete and include submission of a short CV or biosketch (1–2 pages). To PREVIEW the application, you may review this PDF, but please use the link above to submit your responses via the application survey.
Next steps:
- Register for the January 16 at 1:15 pm Eastern or January 17 at 10 am Eastern information session.
- View an overview of board information to learn about the makeup of the board, meetings, time commitment, and committee activities
- Apply Now!