Two Yale-NUS staff members recognised for five-year service

(from left to right) Professor Charles Bailyn and Ms Alyson Rozells with Founding President Pericles Lewis. Image by Wayne Xu

On 26 May 2016, Founding President Pericles Lewis presented Yale-NUS College’s two staff members with their five-year Long Service Award.

The recipients, Ms Alyson Rozells, Senior Manager of Public Affairs, and Professor of Science Charles Bailyn, the inaugural Dean of Faculty, were recognised for their meaningful contributions over the past five years with thunderous applause from the community.

Interestingly, their journeys began on different sides of the globe: Ms Rozells began working in the Yale-NUS administration in Singapore, while Professor Bailyn started faculty work from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Professor Bailyn, who holds a dual position as the A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale University, oversaw the recruitment of faculty members and was a key figure in creating the College’s unique curriculum. Looking back, Professor Bailyn shared that his favourite memory from his time at Yale-NUS was right at the beginning.

“It was the very first Yale-NUS faculty meeting, where for the first time we had a group of three dozen scholars and I had the privilege of bringing down the gavel,” he shared. “That was one of the proudest moments of my life!”

That historic meeting was held at Yale University, and in the room were many faculty members who would help build the Yale-NUS curriculum.

At the first faculty incubation workshop in Yale University, New Haven, in 2012

For Ms Rozells, she treasures a more recent memory.

“It was just last year in June, when we had our first tour of the built campus,” she recalled. “I’ve seen the campus as plans on paper and later as renderings, so to see it come to life was a great feeling! It’s not every day you get to be a part of the whole process.”

As the first employee of the College and a member of the Public Affairs team, Ms Rozells had a hand in organising nearly all the major events the College has celebrated, including the Launch of Yale-NUS College in 2011, the Inauguration of Yale-NUS College in 2013, and the Inauguration of the Yale-NUS College Campus and Symposium on International Liberal Education in 2015. She also launched the College website and was heavily involved in building Yale-NUS’ branding and identity. Next year, Ms Rozells will be part of the organising committee for the graduation ceremony for the first class of Yale-NUS students, the Class of 2017.

“The 2013 Inauguration ceremony signifies the true beginning of the College for me, because that was the first major event we had with faculty, staff and a student body,” she said.

She added: “I’m looking forward to the first graduation ceremony next year. That’s what will bring it full circle for me—from seeing the launch of the College, to the opening of the campus, and now, the graduation of our very first class.”

Ms Rozells, who also received her 10-year Long Service Award from the National University of Singapore (NUS) earlier this year, previously managed academic conferences at the Asia Research Institute (ARI) before joining Yale-NUS College.

Ms Rozells (right) speaking to NUS President Tan Chorh Chuan (left) at the Yale-NUS booth during Open Day 2015

Professor Bailyn, who will return to Yale University to continue his academic role in mid-2016, is excited to see how Yale-NUS will develop in future.

“We’ve made amazing progress in five years,” he said. “Five years ago, our campus resembled a golf course, and now we’re a college. Who knows what it will be in five years’ time?”

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