Dear Members of the Bates Community,

I am happy to share the news with you that Joanne Roberts will join Bates College as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, effective July 1, 2025.

Joanne is a noted public economist who has served most recently as president of Yale-NUS College in Singapore, a liberal arts college created in 2012 as a joint venture of Yale University and the National University of Singapore. She took on that role in 2022 after five years in multiple leadership roles at Yale-NUS, including executive vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, and before that as a member of the economics faculty. 

This Bates News story shares more details about Joanne’s appointment and background. 

As an experienced chief academic officer, Joanne has mentored, developed, and innovated on behalf of faculty and students. She has a clear capacity to navigate academic leadership with skill and compassion, and I am confident she will bring those same talents to her work at Bates supporting our faculty, students, and academic staff. I look forward to working with her to advance the college’s academic aspirations.  

I am extraordinarily grateful to all who helped with this extensive search, including the dedicated search committee chaired by Francesco Duina, the Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology. The committee was assisted by the search firm of Isaacson Miller, and supported by Renee Dana, executive assistant to the vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, and Mike Hussey, vice president for institutional affairs and secretary to the Board of Trustees. I also wish to thank the many members of the Bates community who took time to meet with finalists and provided important feedback.

Sincerely,

   Garry