Penelope Laurans

Penelope Laurans, a 35 year fellow of JE,  came to Yale in 1973, after receiving her Ph.D. from Harvard, as a member of the faculty in the English department, where she taught many courses in poetry and served as head of English 125 and the DUS in the Literature Major. She still frequently teaches a course in the History of English Versification. Since 1982, she has held a number of administrative positions, including associate director of Admissions, editor of The Yale Review and dean of Summer Programs.  In her current positions, she divides her time between work as assistant to the president and as associate dean of Yale College.  She was the deputy to Richard Brodhead on the Committee on Yale College Education, staffed the recent tenure report, the University’s Reaccreditation and Athletic Certification, developed the academic program for the Yale Tercentennial, and was the vice chair of both of the committees investigating the new residential colleges. She works closely in an advisory role with both the dean of Admissions and the director of Athletics, acts as the NCAA Faculty Representative, and spends considerable time advising and mentoring Yale undergraduates.  She has a special interest in both athletics and the arts, has served as adviser to the Opera Theatre of Yale College and to Yaledancers, and can frequently be found on weekends at both arts and athletics events.  She loves the spiders.