Jennifer Gandhi has been named the next Phyllis A. Wallace Dean of Faculty Development in Yale University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, with the appointment taking effect on Jan. 1, 2027. Yale announced the appointment on April 30, 2026.
Gandhi currently serves as deputy dean of the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs and is the Howard Wang ’95 Professor of Global Affairs and Political Science at Yale University. In her new role, she will oversee faculty development initiatives across Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, including mentoring, leadership development, faculty support, and academic advancement programs.
According to Yale, the position was established in 2022 and named after Phyllis A. Wallace, the first woman and first African American tenured at the MIT Sloan School of Management. The dean of faculty development role focuses on strengthening faculty recruitment, retention, mentorship, and professional growth across departments.
Gandhi joined Yale in 2022 after previously serving at Emory University, where she chaired the Department of Political Science. Her academic research focuses on authoritarian politics, legislatures, elections, and political institutions in authoritarian regimes. She is widely known in comparative politics for her work examining how authoritarian governments use formal institutions to maintain power and legitimacy.
Her scholarship includes the book Political Institutions under Dictatorship, which analyzes how authoritarian regimes use legislatures and political parties strategically rather than symbolically. Her research has appeared in leading political science journals and has shaped contemporary academic discussion around authoritarian governance and institutional politics.
The appointment comes as universities continue expanding faculty development and retention programs, particularly around mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and academic leadership pathways. Yale’s announcement specifically highlighted Gandhi’s experience in faculty mentorship and institutional leadership as key factors in the selection.
For South Asian Americans in academia, Gandhi’s appointment reflects growing representation in senior university leadership roles beyond traditional departmental administration. Positions focused on faculty development and institutional strategy increasingly influence hiring, mentoring structures, and long-term academic culture across universities.
Key Takeaways About Jennifer Gandhi
- Named Yale’s next Phyllis A. Wallace Dean of Faculty Development
- Appointment becomes effective Jan. 1, 2027
- Currently serves as deputy dean of the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs
- Research focuses on authoritarian politics and political institutions
- Previously chaired Emory University’s Political Science Department
