Skip to main content

Staff Directory

Office of the Dean

Lynn Cooley's picture

Lynn Cooley

Dean of the Graduate School
Warner House 207
Phone: 203-432-2733
Lynn Cooley's picture

Lynn Cooley

Dean of the Graduate School
Office of the Dean
Warner House 207
Phone: 203-432-2733
Lynn Cooley is the C.N.H. Long Professor of Genetics, professor of cell biology and of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. 
 
She received her B.A. from Connecticut College in 1976, and her earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas in 1984 for research carried out with Sterling Professor Dieter Söll in Yale’s Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Institution of Science where she established new methods using transposable elements for genetic and molecular analysis of genes in the fruit fly Drosophila model system.
 
Cooley’s research focuses on the biology of germline cells by studying the cell biology of egg and sperm development in Drosophila. A major focus of her research is on communication between cells that is mediated by intercellular bridges called ring canals. Her lab is also investigating differences in the regulation of gene expression in germline cells compared to cells in the central nervous system. 
 
Cooley served on the board of directors of the Genetics Society of America and as its President in 2017, and as a council delegate for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has been recognized with a Pew Scholar Award from the Pew Charitable Trusts, is a member of the Connecticut Academy for Science and Engineering, and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is a member of the Board of Trustees at her alma mater, Connecticut College. She has published numerous scientific articles in the journals of several different scientific fields.
 
Cooley was appointed to a five-year term as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 2014. In 2019, she was reappointed for a second five-year term. Read more about the Dean Cooley’s reappointment in “‘A Tireless Advocate for Graduate Students,’ Dean Lynn Cooley reappointed” by Yale News. 
Leah Jehan's picture

Leah Jehan

Senior Executive Assistant
Warner House 208
Phone: +1 (203) 432-2733

Academic Team

Pamela Schirmeister's picture

Pamela Schirmeister

Deputy Dean & Dean of Strategic Initiatives
Warner House 201
Phone: (203) 432-9098
Pamela Schirmeister's picture

Pamela Schirmeister

Deputy Dean & Dean of Strategic Initiatives
Academic Team
Warner House 201
Phone: (203) 432-9098

Primary Responsibilities: Graduate Teaching, Professional Development, Strategic Initiatives

Pamela Schirmeister joined the Graduate School in 1999, and serves as Deputy Dean & Dean of Strategic Initiatives for The Graduate School, and the FAS Dean’s office and as Dean of Undergraduate Education at Yale College. She works on academic and administrative initiatives at the intersection of the College, the Graduate School and the FAS and on undergraduate curricular issues.

Dean Schirmeister’s academic training is in nineteenth-century American literature. Her research interests also include the relation between philosophy and literature, psychoanalytic theory, and biography, and she has published several books and many articles in these areas. She received from Yale both her B.A. (BK) and Ph.D. in English and has taught courses in Yale College in English, Comparative Literature and the Humanities. Before returning to Yale, Schirmeister worked as a reporter for Time magazine and taught at Middlebury, NYU and at University of Konstanz, where she is also a member of the International Advisory Board.

John Alvaro's picture

John Alvaro

Associate Dean for the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program
Phone: (203) 785-3735
John Alvaro's picture

John Alvaro

Associate Dean for the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program
Academic Team
Phone: (203) 785-3735

John Alvaro assumed the new role of Associate Dean for the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Program as of June 1. In this role he will support students, faculty, and staff in the doctoral programs affiliated with the Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences. In addition, he will develop systems to assist in securing grant and fellowship funding. John completed an undergraduate degree in biology at Johns Hopkins, a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Yale, and a postdoc at the Yale School of Medicine.

Robert Harper-Mangels's picture

Robert Harper-Mangels

Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Support
Warner House 311
Phone: (203) 432-1884
Robert Harper-Mangels's picture

Robert Harper-Mangels

Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Support
Academic Team
Warner House 311
Phone: (203) 432-1884

Primary Responsibilities: Admissions, Graduate Program Review, Fellowships (NSF and Fulbright)

Robert Harper-Mangels has served as assistant dean of the Graduate School since 2006. Effective July 1, Assistant Dean Robert Harper-Mangels will become Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Support. In this new position, Rob will continue to support the Graduate Program Reviews, conduct data analyses, and work with departments on admissions. He will have a greater role in overseeing STEM program funding and will act as liaison to other offices to align decisions about programs with university priorities. In addition, he will assume primary responsibility for overseeing student fellowships and external funding applications. Rob has a bachelor’s degree in music and psychology from Wesleyan University, and a PhD in Neuroscience and Behavior from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He looks forward to the challenges ahead and is eager to continue working with DGSs, Registrars, students, and administrative colleagues in this new capacity.

Jasmina Besirevic Regan's picture

Jasmina Besirevic Regan

Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Warner House 312
Phone: (203) 432-5127
Jasmina Besirevic Regan's picture

Jasmina Besirevic Regan

Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Academic Team
Warner House 312
Phone: (203) 432-5127

Primary Responsibilities: GPR, DGSs, Alumni Liaison, IvyPlus & International Exchanges, Special Projects

Jasmina Besirevic Regan joined the Graduate School in 2016, and serves as Associate Dean. She is responsible for designing and implementing strategic projects aimed at strengthening and supporting our graduate programs. Working with the Graduate School’s Graduate Program Review team, she also helps to identify areas of growth and opportunity within our graduate programs. She works closely with the academic affairs team and with graduate programs across the divisions to provide review and support at the programmatic level. She advises graduate programs on curricular and structural issues, the development and implementation of school and program policies, student exchanges and international initiatives, and the admissions process for degree-granting programs.

Dean Besirevic’s academic training is in the sociology of genocide. Her teaching and research interests also include ethnic conflict, identity, nationalism, human rights, and refugee resettlement. She received her B.A. in Sociology from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, and her Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale having also earned the Master’s degrees there. She has taught courses in Yale College in Sociology, Global Affairs, and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration. She has presented papers on the sociology of genocide at a number of professional meetings, and has been invited to speak at international conferences both at Yale and abroad. Before joining the Graduate School academic affairs team, she served as the Dean of Trumbull College, one of fourteen residential colleges at Yale, for twelve years.

Sarah Insley's picture

Sarah Insley

Assistant Dean for Graduate Education
Dow Hall 405
Phone: +1 (203) 4320257
Sarah Insley's picture

Sarah Insley

Assistant Dean for Graduate Education
Academic Team
Dow Hall 405
Phone: +1 (203) 4320257

Sarah Insley joined the Graduate School in 2022 as assistant dean for graduate education. In this role, Sarah assists in developing co-curricular academic initiatives offered to graduate students and departments. Her portfolio includes internships, IvyPlus and international exchange programs, symposia and colloquia funding, summer opportunities, and accessibility recommendations.

Sarah's academic training focused on the language and literature of the Greek-speaking world in late antiquity and the early Byzantine Empire. She earned her PhD in Byzantine Greek from the Department of the Classics at Harvard University and her BA in Greek and Latin and in Medieval Studies from the Catholic University of America. Prior to coming to Yale, she held an ACLS New Faculty Fellowship in the Department of Classics at Brown and a College Fellowship at Harvard, in which roles she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in late antique and Byzantine literature and cultural history. From 2015-2022, she served as Dean of Branford College at Yale and concurrently taught courses in the Department of Classics.

Allegra di Bonaventura's picture

Allegra di Bonaventura

Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Support
Warner House 312
Phone: 203-432-2735
Allegra di Bonaventura's picture

Allegra di Bonaventura

Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Support
Academic Team
Warner House 312
Phone: 203-432-2735

Primary Responsibilities:
• Academic Advising & Student Progress
• Disciplinary & Grievance Cases
• External Fellowships

Matthew Tanico's picture

Matthew Tanico

Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Support and Outreach
Warner House 205
Phone: (203) 436-2628
Matthew Tanico's picture

Matthew Tanico

Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Support and Outreach
Academic Team
Warner House 205
Phone: (203) 436-2628

Matthew Tanico, GRD ’17, came to GSAS after serving as the Associate Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration (RITM). At RITM, Matthew worked to advance innovative teaching and research on key topics of historical and contemporary importance. He began his career as an Academic Administration Fellow in the Graduate School Dean’s office in 2017 while completing his doctoral degree. After graduating, he taught in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at New York University and worked in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean’s office as a Project Specialist to build the inaugural “Scholars as Leaders; Scholars as Learners” suite of faculty development opportunities. Matthew earned a B.A. in Spanish and Italian from New York University and holds a Ph.D. in Spanish and Renaissance Studies from GSAS, where his academic research focused on Golden Age Spanish literature and its relation to material culture and technology.

Anna Cuomo's picture

Anna Cuomo

Senior Administrative Assistant
Warner House 302
Phone: 203-432-2744
Anna Cuomo's picture

Anna Cuomo

Senior Administrative Assistant
Academic Team
Warner House 302
Phone: 203-432-2744

Primary Responsibilities: Graduate Student Status; English Language Proficiency Compliance; Responsible Conduct of Research; Student Registration; Summer Internships; Fellowships; Colloquia/Symposia; Graduate Student Leave Requests

Eva Wilson's picture

Eva Wilson

GSAS Embedded Mental Health Clinician
Founders Hall 188
Phone: 203-432-6110
Eva Wilson's picture

Eva Wilson

GSAS Embedded Mental Health Clinician
Academic Team
Founders Hall 188
Phone: 203-432-6110

To book an appointment with Dr. Wilson, click here.

Office for Graduate Student Development & Diversity

Michelle Nearon's picture

Michelle Nearon

Senior Associate Dean & Director of Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity
Warner House 206
Phone: 203-436-1301
Michelle Nearon's picture

Michelle Nearon

Senior Associate Dean & Director of Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity
Office for Graduate Student Development & Diversity
Warner House 206
Phone: 203-436-1301

Primary Responsibilities: Diversity Strategic Initiatives, Emerging Scholars Initiative, Title IX and Dean’s Designee

Michelle Nearon joined the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in July 2008, where she works closely with students, members of the faculty and administration, and the McDougal Center Offices, to proactively recruit, retain, and assist in the professional development of graduate students from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, political, cultural, and lifestyle backgrounds. Dean Nearon received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brooklyn Polytechnic University, respectively. After completing her master’s degree she devoted approximately ten years to both the aerospace and automotive industries, beginning as a research engineer and ultimately becoming a general manager. She then completed a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stony Brook University in May 2000. Nearon subsequently served on the faculty at Stony Brook University as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and as director of recruitment and diversification in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences until coming to Yale.

Suzanne Young's picture

Suzanne Young

Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development
Founders Hall 185
Phone: +1 (203) 432-8895

Graduate Student Life Office

Jennifer Mendelsohn's picture

Jennifer Mendelsohn

Director of the McDougal Graduate Student Center
Founders Hall 186
Phone: 203-432-2008
Jennifer Mendelsohn's picture

Jennifer Mendelsohn

Director of the McDougal Graduate Student Center
Graduate Student Life Office
Founders Hall 186
Phone: 203-432-2008

Primary Responsibilities: McDougal Student Center, New Students & Orientations, Student Life & Wellness

Elizabeth Ludyjan's picture

Elizabeth Ludyjan

Administrative Assistant
Founders Hall 187A
Phone: (203) 432-7377
Elizabeth Ludyjan's picture

Elizabeth Ludyjan

Administrative Assistant
Graduate Student Life Office
Founders Hall 187A
Phone: (203) 432-7377

Primary Responsibilities: Administrative Support, Facilities, McDougal Center Events

Teaching Fellow Program

Matthew Regan's picture

Matthew Regan

Assistant Director, Teaching Fellows Program
Phone: 203-432-2757
Matthew Regan's picture

Matthew Regan

Assistant Director, Teaching Fellows Program
Teaching Fellow Program
Phone: 203-432-2757

Matt Regan joined the Graduate School in 2022 and serves as Assistant Director of Teaching Fellow Program. He is responsible for the management and administration of this program. He works closely with academic departments to provide training and guidance for the Teaching Fellow System (TFS), the teaching opportunity website and all GSAS policies related to teaching fellows and teaching resources. Matt is responsible for various teaching program events, including the Prize Teaching Awards, the FEAST Program and the Meals for Mentoring Program. He also administers and serves as the lead contact to students and departments for the GSAS family support program.

Matt received his B.A. in Communications from Augsburg College and his M.B.A. from University of New Haven. Prior to joining the Graduate School, he worked in the Department of Economics, Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, and Information Technology (IT) at Yale.

Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning

Ryan Wepler's picture

Ryan Wepler

Director of the Graduate Writing Laboratory
Phone: +1 (617) 5487838
Gina Hurley's picture

Gina Hurley

Associate Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Teaching Development
SML, 301 York Street
Phone: 203-432-2757
Gina Hurley's picture

Gina Hurley

Associate Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Teaching Development
Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
SML, 301 York Street
Phone: 203-432-2757

Primary Responsibilities: Mentoring, Professional Development, Teaching

Julia Istomina's picture

Julia Istomina

Assistant Director of the Graduate Writing Lab
SML, 301 York Street
Phone: 614-822-9721
Julia Istomina's picture

Julia Istomina

Assistant Director of the Graduate Writing Lab
Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
SML, 301 York Street
Phone: 614-822-9721

Primary Responsibilities: Mentoring, Professional Development, Written and Oral Communications

Office of Career Strategy

Hyun Ja Shin's picture

Hyun Ja Shin

Director, Graduate and Postdoctoral Career Services
55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Fl.
Phone: +1 (203) 432-7274
Hyun Ja Shin's picture

Hyun Ja Shin

Director, Graduate and Postdoctoral Career Services
Office of Career Strategy
55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Fl.
Phone: +1 (203) 432-7274

Primary Responsibilities: Career Development, Employer & Alumni Engagement, Non-Academic Career Advising

Since October 2015, Hyun Ja has been dedicated to supporting graduate students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and postdoctoral fellows engaged in the exploration of careers outside the academy. After completing her undergraduate degree from Princeton and her Ph.D in economics from Yale, she joined Charles River Associates as an economic consultant specializing in antitrust matters. She later transitioned to higher education, serving as a lead administrator for the Becker-Friedman Institute at the University of Chicago. Most recently at Yale, she acted as Associate Director of Business Initiatives at Yale Conferences & Events and as a business analyst in the Finance and Business Operations division, prior to joining the Office of Career Strategy. Hyun Ja lives in New Haven with her husband, daughter, and occasionally her son, currently an undergraduate at Yale.

Jacob Gonzalez's picture

Jacob Gonzalez

Senior Associate Director
55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Fl.
Jacob Gonzalez's picture

Jacob Gonzalez

Senior Associate Director
Office of Career Strategy
55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Fl.

Primary Responsibilities: Career Development, Employer & Alumni Engagement, Non-Academic Career Advising

Financial Aid Office

Dawn Galbicsek's picture

Dawn Galbicsek

Financial Aid Assistant
246 Church Street, Room 214
Phone: +1 (203) 432-7423
Dawn Galbicsek's picture

Dawn Galbicsek

Financial Aid Assistant
Financial Aid Office
246 Church Street, Room 214
Phone: +1 (203) 432-7423

Primary Responsibilties: Combined Awards, Endowment Assignments, Graduate Student Funding

Kellie Webb's picture

Kellie Webb

Assistant Director of Financial Aid
246 Church Street, Room 216
Phone: +1 (203) 4322899
Kellie Webb's picture

Kellie Webb

Assistant Director of Financial Aid
Financial Aid Office
246 Church Street, Room 216
Phone: +1 (203) 4322899

Primary Responsibilities: Graduate Student Funding, Graduate Student Loans, GSPS User Training

Graduate School Admissions

Leah Phinney's picture

Leah Phinney

Director of Admissions
Warner House 307
Phone: (203) 432-2749
Leah Phinney's picture

Leah Phinney

Director of Admissions
Graduate School Admissions
Warner House 307
Phone: (203) 432-2749

Primary Responsibilties: Admissions Processing, Slate Training, Visiting Assistants in Research (VAR)

Leah Phinney joined the Graduate School in 2017. Leah graduated with a B.A. from Yale College and received an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut. Prior to joining the Graduate School, Leah worked for nearly ten years in undergraduate admissions in Yale, where she served as Associate Director of Admission and an admissions committee chair. While in undergraduate admissions, she developed expertise in international admissions, project management, and technology implementation. Leah has also worked in admissions at Wesleyan University. In collaboration with academic programs and the deans of the Graduate School, Leah and her colleagues in the admissions office oversee the processing of all degree and non-degree applications to the Graduate School.

Jaime Dietz's picture

Jaime Dietz

Admissions Associate
Warner House 302
Phone: 203-432-2773
Jaime Dietz's picture

Jaime Dietz

Admissions Associate
Graduate School Admissions
Warner House 302
Phone: 203-432-2773

Primary Responsibilties: Admissions Support, Admissions Processing, Student Service

Lisa Furino's picture

Lisa Furino

Assistant Director
Warner House 302
Phone: (203) 432-7017
Lisa Furino's picture

Lisa Furino

Assistant Director
Graduate School Admissions
Warner House 302
Phone: (203) 432-7017

Primary Responsibilties: Admissions Processing, Banner Maintenance, Data Expert

Business Operations

Mary Magri's picture

Mary Magri

Senior Director, Financial Operations
Dow Hall 400
Phone: 203-432-6346
Mary Magri's picture

Mary Magri

Senior Director, Financial Operations
Business Operations
Dow Hall 400
Phone: 203-432-6346

Primary Responsibilities: Finance & Budget Planning, Graduate Program Review, Graduate Student Funding

Eduardo Cesar Cienfuegos Fernandez's picture

Eduardo Cesar Cienfuegos Fernandez

Financial Analyst
Dow Hall 402
Phone: 203-432-0955
Eduardo Cesar Cienfuegos Fernandez's picture

Eduardo Cesar Cienfuegos Fernandez

Financial Analyst
Business Operations
Dow Hall 402
Phone: 203-432-0955

Primary Responsibilities: Ad Hoc Data Analysis, Graduate Program Review Data, Website Data Maintenance

Nicole Gilmore's picture

Nicole Gilmore

Senior Administrative Assistant
Dow Hall 410
Phone: (203) 432-7363
Nicole Gilmore's picture

Nicole Gilmore

Senior Administrative Assistant
Business Operations
Dow Hall 410
Phone: (203) 432-7363

Primary Responsibilities: Administrative Support, Business Operations Support, Event Support

Linda Relyea's picture

Linda Relyea

Manager, Budgets and Financial Analysis
Dow Hall 401
Phone: +1 (203) 436-9233
Elizdalia Rivera's picture

Elizdalia Rivera

Financial Assistant
Dow Hall 410
Phone: (203) 432-2387
Elizdalia Rivera's picture

Elizdalia Rivera

Financial Assistant
Business Operations
Dow Hall 410
Phone: (203) 432-2387

Primary Responsibilities: Business Operations, Graduate Student Assembly Support, Graduate Student Travel

Cathy Vellucci's picture

Cathy Vellucci

Senior Director of Business Operations
Dow Hall 408
Phone: (203) 436-9093
Cathy Vellucci's picture

Cathy Vellucci

Senior Director of Business Operations
Business Operations
Dow Hall 408
Phone: (203) 436-9093

Primary Responsibilities: Business Operations, Human Resources, Professional Development