 | Jeffrey Brenzel |
President Richard C. Levin has named Jeffrey Brenzel, a Yale graduate who has led the University's alumni association since 1997, as dean of undergraduate admissions.
"Jeff Brenzel has been an outstanding leader of our alumni community," said Levin. "He is a devoted Yale College graduate, a skilled manager and an exceptional teacher of undergraduates. He will be a superb ambassador for Yale and for higher education."
As executive director of the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA), Brenzel has developed, managed and overseen programs that engage Yale's worldwide community of undergraduate, graduate and professional alumni. Collaborating with alumni volunteers, administrators and faculty, he has expanded and improved the AYA's online capabilities, Yale College and Graduate School reunions, and the AYA's engagements with minority alumni and shared interest groups.
He also has taken a prominent role in numerous University initiatives, such as the reorganization of Undergraduate Career Services, planning and implementation for Yale's Tercentennial celebrations, the overhaul of Yale's travel expense management, and the redesign and expansion of the Yale Alumni Magazine.
"Although Mr. Brenzel's experiences are not the ones typical of an admissions officer," noted Levin, "he is an outstanding leader, a skilled manager and an eloquent spokesperson for Yale and for higher education. He is also an exceptional teacher. He has consistently earned superb evaluations from undergraduates in his philosophy section of the Directed Studies program, in which he himself had been enrolled as a Yale College student in the 1970s."
Prior to assuming the AYA position, Brenzel's career included senior management positions at the National Association of Securities Dealers, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, where he was vice president for membership, education and services. In 1992, he combined his interest in lifelong learning and his experience developing educational programs to found InterLearn Inc., which deployed new media approaches in adult education.
Brenzel received his B.A. in philosophy from Yale College in 1975 and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. While a graduate student at Notre Dame from 1989 to 1992, he organized workshops and seminars in moral philosophy for senior managers at major corporations.
Brenzel's Yale education and his focus on inclusion and diversity have prepared him well for his new assignment, noted Levin. Arriving at Yale College in 1971, Brenzel was one of only two students from Kentucky in his class. He saw the first women graduate from Yale College, as well as the first large cohort of African-American graduates. In 2003, he led the AYA to sponsor its first conference specifically devoted to women graduates. In 2004, in an effort stemming from work with focus groups, volunteer leaders and networking events in New York and Chicago, the AYA assisted with planning and promoting the Afro-American Cultural Center's hosting of its 35th anniversary celebration. His advocacy has resulted in the launch this fall of a new series of networking programs for African-American, Latino, Asian-American, and gay and lesbian alumni in major cities around the country. The AYA also will co-host another shared interest group conference next spring for Asian and Asian-American alumni.
Brenzel, who will begin a five-year term as dean of admissions Oct. 10, lives in Woodbridge with his spouse Sally Brenzel, and their two children Paul and Sarah.
Levin thanked Margit Dahl, who served as acting dean of undergraduate admissions during the search for a successor for former dean Richard H. Shaw, and her staff.
"Over the past few years, these admissions professionals have helped to generate exceptional growth in the number of applications from aspiring students and equally impressive growth in the proportion of admitted students who accept Yale College's offers of admission," said Levin.
Carolyn Claflin, currently the director for administration at the AYA, was named interim executive director. Claflin came to the AYA in 2003 from the Yale University Library where she was employed for over 18 years, most recently as the director of library development. A search committee will be established to advise on the appointment of a new AYA executive director.
T H I S
Brenzel named undergraduate admissions dean
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Campus Notes
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