Med school prof ready to replace Appelquist

By Melissa DePetris

LIZ OLINER/YH Neurobiology Professor Susan Hockfield will replace Thomas Appelquist as Dean of Yale's Graduate School this fall.

"This appointment is a great privilege and honor. For the past five years I have greatly admired Tom Appelquist [and his efforts]," Hockfield said.

As Dean of the Graduate School, Hockfield will be responsible for managing academic and administrative policies, and for the overall organization of the school. The Graduate School, with 2,300 students, is the largest of Yale's 11 graduate and professional schools and includes Humanities, Social Sciences, and Biological and Physical Sciences departments.

Hockfield began her career at Yale in 1985 as an assistant professor and held the position of Director of Graduate Studies in neurobiology from 1986 to 1994. As director, her duties included reshaping graduate training in the biological and biomedical sciences. She also served on the Executive Committee of the Graduate School, and on a committee to improve collaboration among the different fields of biomedical science. Her own research focuses upon the intricacies of the mammalian brain and has led to a better medical understanding of brain tumor cells and methods
of treatment.

At the press conference, Levin stressed the vital role graduate students play at Yale and the importance of improving services for them. "We understand that their quality of life has been under duress up until the past few years. This is in part a result of external changes in the market for employment, but is also in part an internal result of a not entirely hospitable environment [at Yale].

"Yale is now moving in the right direction, with increased financial aid, more and better student services, and an improved intellectual and social setting. We also have more career counseling for jobs outside of the academic sector. We believe that Susan will continue these developments in all
directions," he said.

Levin believes that Hockfield will "create the sense that Yale graduate students are an integral part of the community. She is dedicated to the common effort for advancement of knowledge. I am delighted by this appointment and know that you will be too." He introduced her with these words and as she reached the podium, jokingly commented on the fervent applause in her honor: "Enjoy it; it won't happen again."

Hockfield looks forward to assuming her new position and to the challenges that come with it. "I find that the joy in watching young scholars blossom into new colleagues never wanes," she stated. "An important facet of Yale's greatness is its faculty and collaborative spirit. One of my central goals will be to foster and facilitate the spirit that President Levin outlined."

Although many graduate students have yet to hear about the appointment, Michael Krause, GRD '00, believes that the most challenging task that Hockfield faces is balancing her policy agenda with the interests of the Yale Corporation. "I hope that Hockfield is able to surmount such problems and that she has a genuine concern for graduate students.... I hope that she possesses a sense of what kinds of demands are reasonable, because though students may try to force change upon the University, I am not always sure how far the Corporation is willing to go to cooperate."

Hockfield was one of five candidates presented to Levin by a selection committee of Yale professors. Selection committee chair and professor Frank Ruddle explained, "Levin met with the committee and gave us his detailed view of desirable characteristics for the position of Dean. He sought a person who was a leader and could introduce necessary change. He preferred a scientist, to lend balance to the Yale Administration, but we did not restrict ourselves to a scientist."

After interviewing 30 or 40 candidates recommended by the faculty, the selection committee narrowed down its choices to five candidates. "Though everyone interviewed was extremely talented, certain individuals presented themselves as particularly outstanding and separated themselves from the rest of the group," Ruddle said.

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