This is the second installment in a series of short profiles of the members of the FAS Dean’s Office leadership team. A previous article featured the divisional deans; future articles will focus on the deans of diversity and faculty development, and of academic affairs.
The two members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences faculty affairs team— Senior Associate Dean John Mangan and Associate Dean Bob Burger —are often the first points of contact for chairs, department staff, business offices, and individual faculty members. Together, they handle the day-to-day administrative management of policies and procedures that span the FAS including leaves, research funds, reappointments, offer letters, and the faculty lifecycle. Paralleling the divisional deans’ oversight with respect to the ladder faculty, Mangan and Burger share responsibility for the hiring and support of instructional faculty across the FAS—Mangan in the humanities, and Burger in the sciences and social sciences. They are both veterans of the Yale provost’s office (Mangan from 2013-14, and Burger from 2006-14) and, from that vantage point, have been close witnesses to the evolution of the FAS in the time since the FAS Dean’s Office was created in 2014.
On the benefits of the new FAS organization…
Mangan: “A special part of the work in this office is working with department chairs—building meaningful connections with them and supporting them in their leadership. We also have more bandwidth to focus on instructional faculty, which is a direct result of the change in attention and resources that came with the establishment of the FAS Dean’s Office.”
Burger: “[In the transition from the provost’s office], in addition to continuing to support the biological and physical sciences and engineering, I picked up all of the division of social sciences—I have gotten to know a whole new culture, different funding models, and completely different modes of recruiting. And we work with all levels of the departments—everybody from academic support to individual faculty.”
A “day in the life”…
Burger: “New issues are constantly emerging. Things frequently come up that take priority—we have to be responsive to time-critical needs of the faculty and the department staff. We pride ourselves on being accessible.”
Mangan : “We need to respond in real time so that other people’s processes [in the departments] can keep moving forward. It takes a close knowledge of the disciplines, and of Yale and FAS history.”
Teamwork in the FAS Dean’s Office…
Mangan: “We have an open-door policy between our two offices—we are always talking to ensure consistency across divisions—everything from leaves to appointments to salaries, terms, etc.”
Burger: “We can resolve 90 percent of questions ourselves, and because this is a small office, we can quickly bring the other 10 percent to the dean or the divisional deans.”
Mangan: “Our proximity to colleagues within our office is extraordinarily valuable. We can have 30-second meetings in the hallway. We have regular meetings with [Dean Gendler], and we can elevate issues to the divisional deans, who have offices in the building as well.”
Deans Bob Burger and John Mangan photographed in Dean Mangan’s office in Warner House.
On major academic priorities…
Burger: “The science divisional dean, the dean of engineering, and the deputy provost for research are all turning over this year—there will be a new science team, and that means new perspectives and new vision. We are working toward the new Yale Science Building, which will bring with it many opportunities in terms of space, strategy, and recruiting. And in the social sciences, the divisional dean is leading the strategic push to expand data-driven social scientific education and research.”
Mangan: “The 320 York Street project is looming large on the horizon, and I am working closely with the divisional dean for the humanities, who is leading the initiative. It’s incredibly exciting. And for both Bob and me, these projects are happening at a time when we’re growing into the new directions of our roles as senior staff in the FAS Dean’s Office—taking on expanding responsibility, for example, for the financial side of things.”
In and outside of the office…
Burger: “My background is in geology and geophysics, and before coming to Yale I had experience in the petroleum industry, environmental consulting, and in nonprofit science management. All of this in addition to my academic experience gave me a broad understanding of how science is done from different perspectives, and this helps me to be responsive to faculty needs across the sciences, social sciences, and engineering.
Mangan: “I came from a first career as a musician—a performer and a teacher. The kind of music I loved the most was chamber music, and it taught me so much about teamwork, melody, and trading off harmonies to achieve an artistic end out of interwoven collaboration. It’s a dynamic I try to import into my work in this office.”
Burger: “Also, we have complimentary hobbies. John makes pizza, and I make beer.”
Mangan: “We have some great family gatherings together.”
–Reported and written by Alison Coleman for the FAS Dean’s Office