Even after he steps down from his role as master of Timothy Dwight College, Jeffrey Brenzel will remain a member of the Yale community next year, working part-time for University President Peter Salovey.

During a farewell ceremony in the TD dining hall on Sunday night, Brenzel told attendees that he will work “half-time” in the President’s Office as a research associate. Brenzel will be working closely with Salovey to develop policy and research communication in higher education, he said.

“I will be working at the President’s direction on higher educational communications and strategies,” Brenzel, who served as the dean of undergraduate admissions from 2005 to 2013, told the News. He added that he and Salovey are still working out the details of his work next year, declining to specify the kinds of policies he will work on or the scope his work will take as a research associate.

Salovey could not be reached for comment on Sunday evening.

Besides his new role as a research associate, Brenzel said, he will continue to be an advisor for TD students. He will continue advising his current freshmen and will make himself available as a freshman advisor for next year’s incoming class.

“[Brenzel] will still be at Yale but with a much lower time commitment,” said Benjamin Ackerman ’16, who acted as presenter at the farewell ceremony.

TD students interviewed said they are happy that Brenzel will still be a member of the wider college community, but also that he will continue to be a presence in TD. Several said they do not think that Brenzel’s continuing role will overlap significantly with that of the new master, American Studies and history professor Mary Lui.

“He’s all about balance,” said Corey Malone-Smolla’16, a student in TD. “He will be around the college in the way he knows the TD community needs him.”

Lauren McNeel ’18, who attended the ceremony, said she was pleasantly surprised that Brenzel will still be found around the college courtyard, as she had previously thought he would go abroad.

Brenzel’s experience both as a student and a Yale administrator will contribute positively to his new position, said Daniel Weiner ’15, a former science and technology editor for the News.

Aside from his commitments to Yale, Brenzel will be working on two books: one about college admissions and another on philosophy. He said he will bring what he has seen in Yale’s admissions office to help families through the college admissions process in his book. For his second book, Brenzel, also a professor of philosophy, will look into the history of ideas about human nature, he said.

“Once a master steps down from the mastership, they’re still a member of the college fellowship for life,” Brenzel said. “I will be happily a member of the TD fellowship.”

Brenzel graduated from Yale in 1975 and lived in TD as an undergraduate.

FINNEGAN SCHICK
VICTOR WANG