Surjit Chandhoke, a lecturer and researcher in the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology department, will serve as the next dean of Trumbull College, Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway announced Tuesday in an email to the college.

Chandhoke, who has held various teaching and administrative roles in the MCDB department, will succeed current dean Jasmina Besirevic this fall.

Chandhoke arrived at Yale as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of MCDB and Cell Biology professor Mark Mooseker in 2007 and has served as the course coordinator for Biology 101-104, foundational courses for the three biological sciences majors, for the past four years. She has also guest lectured in these courses and served as a sophomore advisor and academic adviser to MCDB majors.

Margaret Clark, the head of Trumbull College, said she is delighted by Chandhoke’s appointment.

“The announcement has just been made but I’ve already heard loud and enthusiastic cheers from many biology students who have had first hand experience with her advising,” Clark said. “Her interests are broad and her personal style is warm and welcoming. I’m confident that she will be a great dean for all our students.”

Holloway’s email highlighted Chandhoke’s volunteer work within the cancer awareness campaign Relay for Life. Chandhoke received an award from the American Cancer Society for her volunteer work for the event. She has been the team captain and chair of the Newington, Conn. Relay for Life event.

Trumbull students already familiar with Chandhoke also expressed their excitement about her new appointment.

“She’s compassionate, knowledgeable, and experienced in both academia and student life,” said Rebecca Leibowitz ’18, a Trumbull MCDB major who has had Chandhoke as a teaching fellow. “Her time teaching summer session and directing [introductory biology] gives her a unique ability to understand what students need and go through.”

Chandhoke will move into Trumbull this summer with her husband Gurbakhshash Singh, who is a Ph.D. candidate in Biostatistics at the University of Calgary in Alberta.