David Post named dean of faculty at Yale-NUS College

David Post, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed dean of faculty of Yale-NUS College, effective July 1, 2021, for a term of three years.

Post, who will succeed Dean of Faculty Jeannette Ickovics, will lead faculty development, drive research endeavors, and refine Yale-NUS College’s innovative curriculum.

Yale-NUS is a college in Singapore jointly founded by Yale and the National University of Singapore (NUS). It was established in 2011 and admitted its first students in 2013.

Post is an aquatic ecologist and the principal investigator of the Post Lab at Yale. His research tests long-standing questions about food web structure and dynamics, the influence of environmental change on community structure and ecosystem function, spatial linkages among ecosystems, and the importance of interactions between ecology and evolution for community and ecosystem processes. He has studied the impacts of environmental change on species in a diverse range of habitats, from Connecticut’s lakes to the Mara River in Africa

He is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering and was elected by his peers as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Post earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University, and his B.A. and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

“Yale-NUS College is Yale’s most ambitious international partnership,” Yale President Peter Salovey said in an announcement released jointly with Yale-NUS. “We are fortunate to have David Post, a long-time Yale faculty member, participating in the ongoing hiring and development of faculty for Yale-NUS, which has become a model for liberal arts and sciences education in Asia and worldwide.”

NUS President, Professor Tan Eng Chye also praised Post’s appointment. “I am happy to welcome Professor Post to Yale-NUS to lead a team of dedicated educators focused on both active scholarship and undergraduate teaching. NUS shares a deep relationship with Yale, and this appointment illustrates Yale’s strong ties to the College and its commitment to the success of Yale-NUS.”

In his new role, Post will work with the faculty to maintain excellence in scholarship across all disciplines, to support their professional development, and to help develop new opportunities for collaboration within Yale-NUS and across NUS and Yale. In addition, he hopes to challenge the faculty to identify and strengthen areas of distinction that can fortify the curriculum and enrich the scholarship of students and faculty.

“I am incredibly impressed by what has been achieved at Yale-NUS in its first decade,” Post said. “I am excited to join the strong and vibrant Yale-NUS community as it transitions into its second decade, and eager to work with the students, faculty, and staff of Yale-NUS to sustain and enhance the exceptional living and learning environment on campus that promotes life-long learning and trains the next generation of global leaders.”

“David Post is an admired colleague and distinguished scientist, who has demonstrated his leadership ability during nearly two decades at Yale,” said Pericles Lewis, Yale’s vice president for global strategy. “In taking on this new role, he will make a substantial contribution to Yale-NUS by continuing to strengthen its outstanding faculty and innovative curriculum. He will also help maintain the close ties between Yale and the National University of Singapore as Yale-NUS enters its second decade.”

Yale-NUS College President, Professor Tan Tai Yong added: “Professor Post is a committed educator with experience in engaging undergraduate students in research, and a firm believer in liberal arts. We are glad that such exchanges of expertise and talent have helped us continue to maintain our close ties with Yale and NUS. We look forward to deepening this engagement further to benefit our faculty, students, and the wider community.”

Lewis and Tan Tai Yong also thanked Ickovics, the outgoing dean of faculty, for her service to Yale-NUS. During her tenure, they noted, she has been instrumental in envisioning new academic initiatives, promoting cross-divisional and multidisciplinary scholarship, developing mentorship opportunities for junior and female faculty, and highlighting faculty members’ innovative research.