Professor Kelly Brownell, who teaches the popular course “Psychology, Biology and Politics of Food,” has been named the next dean of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Brownell is a leading expert on nutrition and obesity as they relate to public policy and also serves as director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, which he co-founded in 2005. It looks like Duke may be making a habit of hiring Yale faculty: Duke President Richard Brodhead ’68 GRD ’72 was dean of Yale College when he was named president of Duke in 2004.

Strong words. A Yale Law School student sent an angry open letter to his classmates yesterday morning explaining, in detail, why he hates all of them. In his letter, the student wrote that Yale’s law students “openly judged” him for his career choices and were frequently offended over the “dumbest sh-t.” In a postscript attached to the end of the note, the student added that he bought a $100 desk chair from Ikea that he is willing to sell for $99.50.

TEDxYale 2013 is open for registration, and organizers have started gearing up for the Feb. 23 event. This year, speakers include New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., celebrity professor Michael Frame and Rhodes scholar and Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Global Youth Issues Ronan Farrow LAW ’09.

Boosting the sciences. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has proposed to invest $1.5 billion in science, technology, engineering and math programs at the University of Connecticut. The proposed investment will be included in Malloy’s budget, which will be presented to lawmakers next week. Looks like Yale isn’t the only university seeking to boost its STEM programs.

Lux et Veritas. A new Yale Tumblr called “That’s So Yale” aims to celebrate Yale by posting photos of different parts of the University’s campus. So far, the blog includes pictures of Harkness Tower, Commons, Beinecke Library and Old Campus.

Give them a standing ovation. A group of 26 students from Sandy Hook Elementary School will perform “America the Beautiful” during the Super Bowl XLVII pregame show, according to an NFL spokesman. The league will fly the students and their families to New Orleans later this week.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY 1914 The Yale Alumni University Fund sets a record for number of individual contributors, boasting 3,624 contributors and marking an increase from the previous year’s 3,527 donors.

YALE DAILY NEWS