David A. Yalof appointed W&M Vice Provost for Academic Affairs – W&M News

David A. Yalof, department head and distinguished professor of political science at the University of Connecticut, has been named William & Mary’s vice provost for academic affairs, provost Peggy Agouris announced today.

Yalof brings considerable experience in academic planning, curriculum, and assessment, in addition to being a recognized scholar in constitutional law, presidential politics, and U.S. government.

“William & Mary is a special place,” Yalof said. “It has always been an institution that cherishes the relationship between faculty member and student, and you can feel that when you talk to the people who are there. It is something that is rooted in its culture and traditions.

As Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Yalof will serve as Agouris’ senior advisor and provide leadership and oversight for academic programs, curriculum, program planning, and compliance.

The Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs works with the executive leadership of the university, the leadership of the academic school, and the faculty assembly to advance institutional goals, including those identified in the Vision 2026 strategic plan.

“David brings exceptional vision to William & Mary, being equally strong in administrative leadership and academic enterprise,” said Agouris. “In this role, David will deepen William & Mary’s research horizons, advance academic collaboration and innovation, and deliver a bold vision for the future of education at the university.”

After earning his Ph.D. in political science from Johns Hopkins University, then spending more than two decades in Connecticut, Yalof felt it was time to return to his higher education roots in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“The University of Connecticut treated me very well, but Virginia has always been central to who I am,” said Yalof, who earned undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Virginia. “I feel like I’m finally coming home.”

Yalof will assume the newly targeted position in January 2023 and take over some of the duties of Steve Hanson, who served as vice provost for academic and international affairs and stepped down in June to return to teaching and research.

Hanson’s other duties have been taken on by Teresa Longo, executive director of the Reves Center for International Studies, who in July was named assistant vice president for international affairs.

Yalof said working as a department head at the University of Connecticut prepared him for this new role.

“You have to be innovative and think outside the box,” Yalof said. “I want to help the provost achieve the mission of William & Mary, but I also hope to get some insight and understanding of what deans are trying to do and what department heads are trying to do and help translate that for the provost’s office as well. .”

The Commonwealth is not only where Yalof earned his undergraduate and law degrees, it is also where he met and married his wife, Andrea Pierce Yalof ’88, a former student of William & Mary.

It is also central to his research interests, particularly the US presidency. William & Mary is the alma mater of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler, and is where George Washington served as chancellor from 1788 to 1799.

Yalof’s recently completed manuscript, “George Washington and the Establishment of The Two-Term Precedent,” is expected to be published in 2023.

Yalof’s first book, “Pursuit of Justices: Presidential Politics and the Selection of Supreme Court Nominees,” won the 2000 Richard E. Neustadt Award for Best Book on the Presidency from the American Political Science Association. More recently, he wrote “Psecution between Friends: Presidents, Attorneys General, and Executive Branch Wrongdoing”. He is also co-author of “The First Amendment and the Media in the Court of Public Opinion” and “The Future of the First Amendment.”

Yalof earned his BA (1988) and JD (1991) from UVa; he then practiced law at Jones Day Reavis & Pogue in Washington, D.C., just before earning his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in 1997. Yalof was also a member of the American Board of Education at Trinity College, Hartford from 2004 to 2005.

At the University of Connecticut, Yalof has served as department head and professor of political science since 2013 after serving as director of undergraduate studies in the political science department from 2011 to 2013 and director of curriculum development and evaluation. in the Provost’s Office from 2005-07. He also served as the Senate Faculty Representative on the UConn Board of Trustees from 2020-22.

“David is a thoughtful and strategic leader who cares deeply about both advancing educational opportunities for students and facilitating faculty success,” said Juli Wade, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. ‘University of Connecticut. “He will be missed at UConn, and we wish him well in his transition to this important role at William & Mary.”

Nathan Warter, Communications Specialist