Professor Joanne Roberts begins her new role as Yale-NUS President
Professor Joanne Roberts takes Yale-NUS forward in the next three years
On 1 July 2022, Yale-NUS College will begin a new chapter with Professor Joanne Roberts officially commencing her duties as the third President of the College.
Although Prof Roberts formally joined Yale-NUS as Associate Dean of Faculty (Faculty Development) in 2017, her connection to the College can be traced back to 2015, when she was a Visiting Professor for a year. An esteemed public economist, Prof Roberts did her undergraduate training at the University of Waterloo and her graduate work at Queen’s University in Canada. She has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Economic Association, President of the Canadian Economics Women’s Network, and co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Economics. Prior to joining Yale-NUS as Associate Dean of Faculty, she taught at the University of Toronto, and the University of Calgary. She was also a Senior Visiting Fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2011 and 2015.
In the last five years, Prof Roberts has had the privilege of witnessing the College grow from strength to strength and has played a key role in helping Yale-NUS reach new heights. Prof Roberts previously oversaw all academic and student programming, including admissions and financial aid, curriculum, research, experiential learning, and student support. She also worked closely with the faculty and staff to review the College’s signature Common Curriculum and experiential learning programmes, refine the residential experience, and enable faculty research and development, among many other initiatives for both faculty and students.
For Prof Roberts, enhancing the academic programmes and tenure processes, and improving the residential experience were not simply about fulfilling her responsibilities. “Yale-NUS has been home to me for the past five years of my life. It is a home that I am most proud of,” she notes. While there are many aspects about the College that she is fond of, Prof Roberts shares that her top three favourites comprise “the energy, creativity, and passion of our students combined with their spirit of collaboration, co-creation, and care; the commitment, innovation, and generosity of our faculty; and the many events and activities, ranging from those by the Society of Yale–NUS Community Dancers and Improv to spontaneous courtyard gatherings and friendly debates in the dining halls.”
It was this dynamic and enriching experience that left an impression on Prof Roberts all those many years ago when she was a Visiting Professor, and she aims to enable it to continue flourishing in the next three years. During her time as president, Prof Roberts’ main undertakings will include ensuring that students continue to have a robust educational, cocurricular and residential experience at Yale-NUS, fostering close ties with the College’s stakeholders and community, and creating a lasting legacy alongside students, staff, and faculty.
“I hope to serve and support the community through a smooth transition, to ensure that all of our students have a transformational experience, and that we sustain and engage our larger community of alumni and friends in such a way to ensure that the community and its impact long outlast 2025.”
While some may view it as a challenging task, Prof Roberts believes that going back to the roots of the College — its vision — will shepherd faculty, staff, students, families, alumni, and friends in taking Yale-NUS forward for the next three years. As the Yale-NUS community continues to push forward in teaching and learning experiential opportunities, campus life, administration and other projects, Prof Roberts and the College’s leadership team are committed to giving their fullest support to enable the community to make an impact that lasts.
The Yale-NUS community can look forward to Prof Roberts’ leadership, which is a clear embodiment of the College spirit and ethos.
Prof Roberts also holds a number of other positions beyond Yale-NUS. She serves on the advisory panel of NINEby9, advancing gender parity in Asia, and on the management board of the Asia Research Institute, NUS, and the jury of the Steward Leadership 25 awards. In her leisure time, Prof Roberts can be found spending time with her family, walking with friends, and soaking up the sights in Singapore.
