Camille Lizarríbar, the current Dean of Ezra Stiles College and also the Dean of the Freshman Scholars at Yale program during the summer, will fill the position of Dean of Student Affairs starting Feb. 1, 2016, Holloway announced in a college-wide email on Monday afternoon.

Lizarríbar’s appointment comes after a semester-long search for a new Dean of Student Affairs — a position which has been empty since Marichal Gentry left the role to serve as dean of students at his alma mater, Sewanee: the University of the South this past summer. A search committee led by Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeremiah Quinlan — which included students, a residential college master and dean and University administrators — assembled a strong pool of candidates for the position, Holloway wrote, but Lizarríbar still stood out among her peers. In her new role as the Dean of Student Affairs, Holloway added, Lizarríbar will develop and implement a vision for student life that focuses on the campus climate, alcohol policies, student well-being, counseling, discipline, student organizations, housing, orientation, freshman counselors and other aspects of student activities at Yale.

“As the committee concluded its work, Dean Quinlan reported that finalists for the position brought tremendous experience, dedication, and vision with them,” Holloway wrote this afternoon. “In the end, the committee found that Dean Lizarríbar stood out even among this exceptional list of candidates because of her long experience with Yale College, her outstanding record of collaborating with students and administrators alike and her own vision for the position of Dean of Student Affairs.”

In addition, Holloway noted, Lizarríbar will oversee the Office of Gender and Campus Culture, serve as liaison to the Women’s Center and participate in the Provost’s Title IX Steering Committee.  

Holloway cited Lizarríbar’s diverse experiences as a residential college dean, a leader of the Freshman Scholars at Yale program, her time as an instructor in literature at both Harvard and Yale and her work as an attorney both in government and in private practice as some of the reasons for his confidence in Lizarríbar in her new position as the Dean of Student Affairs.

“Her contributions to shaping Yale College policy are just as extensive, and include service on committees on admissions and financial aid, alcohol and other drugs, racial and ethnic harassment, and privacy of student records,” Holloway wrote.

This announcement follows another college-wide email sent by Holloway last Wednesday that detailed the findings of two investigations into an Oct.30 Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity party and a Nov. 6 student demonstration at a William F. Buckley, Jr. conference on free speech. The new Dean of Student Affairs, Holloway wrote last Wednesday, will work with Dean of Student Engagement Burgwell Howard to provide training and guidance to student groups hoping to host events as well as to protest peacefully. Both deans will be tasked with identifying ways to promote a respectful and inclusive climate on campus, including spaces for socializing that are open to all Yale College students.

Lizarríbar earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Literature and French Language and Literature from Brandeis University, a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Harvard University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She speaks four languages: Spanish, English, French and Italian.