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About Yale Summer Session

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Message from the Dean of Yale Summer Session

Each summer, Yale Summer Session brings together students from across the country and around the world to take Yale College courses in New Haven, online, or abroad or to hone their craft at the Yale Writers’ Workshop or in the Summer Drama Program. International students can also study law, business, or English in one of our certificate programs. Living together in Yale's residential colleges, students in New Haven share a vibrant community outside of the classroom. Students in online courses study with top Yale faculty, accessing our virtual seminar classroom from just about anywhere in the world. YSS extends beyond the boundaries of Yale's New Haven campus as well, with more than 25 Yale faculty-led programs abroad in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

We hope that YSS will help you explore a new passion, ask new questions, and make new friends. Welcome!

Jeanne Follansbee
Dean, Yale Summer Session

Office Hours and Location​

The Yale Summer Session main office is open year round, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. 

Dean of Yale Summer Session

Jeanne Follansbee (she/her/hers)

Jeanne directs the development and management of Yale Summer Session, which includes Yale College courses, Smithsonian partnerships, Certificate Programs for International Students, and the Yale Writers’ Workshop. She also works collaboratively with the Summer Session Study Abroad team in CIPE. Before her conversion to a Yalie, Jeanne served as Director of Studies and Senior Lecturer in History and Literature at Harvard and as Academic Dean at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Boston University, and is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, Colgate. If she’s not in her office, track her down on the beach at Hammonassett State Park, or check the lines at Ashley’s or Arethusa.

Yale Summer Session Staff

James Brennan (he/him/his)

Jim, our Business Manager for Yale Summer Session, makes budgets and finance look (almost) enjoyable. When he’s not staring down a spreadsheet, he coordinates the Summer Session Residential College off-campus trips, including jaunts to theme parks and ball games. In his spare time, he officiates high school basketball, serves as a Division 1 college football official, and is currently a Replay Official in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). He also belongs to a timing organization that works the clocks and scoreboards at College basketball games.

Richard Collins (he/him/his)

Rich is the Director of Yale Summer Online and Information Technology and a member of Summer Session’s senior leadership team, providing guidance in the planning and development of YSS initiatives. In 2012, Rich co-founded Yale Summer Online and is responsible for the growth and development of the program. Rich directs all information system related initiatives, processes, and technologies for Summer Session. Prior to joining Summer Session, Rich held information technology and online education positions in Massachusetts higher education. He holds a Master's of Education in Curriculum and Instructional Technology and Bachelor of Business Administration. When he’s not thinking about technology, you’ll find him skiing, on the links, or hitting the beach.

Catherine Jones (she/her/hers)

Following her graduation from Baylor University with a B.A. in History, Catherine was employed at Texas State University in San Marcos working in three different departments over 9 years. Though her heart remains in Texas, she has fallen in love with fall in New England. When not at work, you might find her knitting in coffee shops or visiting various fiber festivals around the country. Catherine is responsible for ensuring that all courses are entered correctly into Banner so students are able to register and for ensuring that students are eligible for all of the courses they want to take. She also helps process I-20s for international students studying on campus over the summer.

Jakub Koguciuk

As our Online Education Specialist, Jakub helps coordinate the Yale Summer Online program as well as works on technology aspects of other Summer Session programs.  A native of Poland, he returns to Yale after a Ph.D. in History of Art and Renaissance Studies. Offline, he can be seen staring at paintings in the Yale University Art Gallery and perfecting his step-back three at the gym.

Kelly McLaughlin

Kelly is Director of Study Abroad and Deputy Director of the Center for International and Professional Experience (CIPE) and is also the Assistant Dean for Assessment in Yale College. He started with CIPE in 2002 and was previously Director of Fellowship Programs and Director of the Light Fellowship. A Californian, Kelly earned a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from UCLA. After college, he taught in South Korea and worked with the Fulbright Commission in Seoul. Although he arrived in New Haven in 2002, Kelly still considers sunny Southern California his home base.

Julia McLaughlin

As Senior Administrative Assistant for Yale Summer Session, she’s the first point of contact for Yale students, faculty, staff and visitors. She handles all of the daily administrative duties for the office, helps to review applications during the admissions process, and supervises all of our student workers. Julia earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine, and lived abroad in Seoul, Korea, for six years where she tutored English to middle school students. Her favorite part of summer in New Haven is going out to the many restaurants in town and enjoying the outdoor patios and live music. Maybe you’ll see her there!

Meg Palladino

Meg Palladino is the Director of Yale Summer Session and a member of Summer Session’s leadership team, where she helps develop strategy and planning oversight for YSS. Meg is responsible for the management and development of all on-campus programs. Prior to Yale, Meg was the Assistant Dean for International Education at Northeastern University in Boston, and taught English as a Second Language. Meg holds a Master of Science degree in Education from the State University of New York at Albany and graduated from Bard College at Simon’s Rock with a BA in Intercultural Studies. She is the Creative Director and a Founding Editor of the University of Venus blog at Inside Higher Ed and co-host of the View from Venus podcast. Tune in.

Victoria Rinkerman

Victoria loves the calm and quiet of Yale Summer Session after working as the Assistant for 9 different Police Chiefs at the Stamford Connecticut Police Department. Prior to that she worked as the Registrar at the American Institute for Foreign Study. This gave her the expertise and knowledge to handle our International Group Students and the Certificate Program for International Students. She also coordinates the Yale Writers Workshop and the Shafer Students Program. Victoria graduated from Barat Richmond International University in London, England with High Honors in her double major of Business Management and Economics. In her spare time, she volunteers in the community, loves to read, attend plays and concerts and travels extensively.

Alexander Rosas

Alexander Rosas is the inaugural Dean of Pauli Murray College, Head of Summer Colleges, and a faculty member in the Department of Political Science. Dean Rosas' academic interests in political theory and law lie in issues of international human rights law and cultural diversity, theories of justice, and law and society. He is particularly interested in how modern nation-states can and should (or cannot and should not) use law to negotiate between markedly different cultural and religious groups and, more generally, in the complex relationship between law and freedom. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dean Rosas received his B.A. degree, with honors and distinction, in international relations from Stanford University, and his J.D. degree, Order of the Coif, and his Ph.D. degree in jurisprudence and social policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Sara Spear (she/her)

Sara is Director of Academic Affairs for Yale Summer Session and oversees coordination of the First-Year Scholars at Yale (FSY) Program. Prior to Yale, Sara worked at Rutgers University as Assistant Director at the Center for Organizational Leadership and Assistant Dean at the Office of Advising & Academic Services for the School of Arts and Sciences. Sara completed her B.A. in History at Mount Holyoke College followed by a Master's and Ph.D. in Higher Education at Rutgers University. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, playing tennis, crafting, and exploring Connecticut with her husband and two sons.

Kathy Trputec (she/her/hers)

In Yale Summer Session, Kathy is the liaison for our partner universities who send undergraduate students to study at Yale in the summer. She’s also part of the Study Abroad team, advising students going to the U.K., Ireland, Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, and Russia. She’s been with Summer Session since 2007, after working as a middle school Spanish teacher and a college academic advisor. She holds an M.S. in Counseling with a focus in Higher Education from Central Connecticut State University and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Connecticut. Her year abroad in Granada, Spain boosted her Spanish fluency and helps her identify with international students who are adapting to a new culture. She loves multicultural food and traveling (she’s been to 31 countries!), and her favorite things about the summer are warm weather, day trips, and spending time outside!

Eli Westerman

Eli earned his B.S from Yale College in 2018, double majoring in chemical engineering and classical civilization. He spent his undergraduate summers with YSS as a residential counselor, residential office assistant, and a residential director. Now, he is a Fellow in the best residential college, Trumbull College. As Assistant Director, he manages all YSS communications, provides strategic guidance to the Residential Life program, and oversees outreach to both Yale College students and visiting students. An avid hiker, he has climbed every 5,000-foot peak in New Hampshire, and hopes to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail someday.

Kelly Wilcox

Kelly earned her B.S. from Cornell University in 2013 and her M.S. Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015. Since graduating she has worked in Student Affairs at Cornell University and Princeton University, Undergraduate Admissions at the University of New Haven as the Events Coordinator and Cornell University as a Seasonal Admissions Reader (for 4 cycles), and Alumni Relations at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Most recently, she worked in the wedding industry at the Wadsworth Mansion and for a private event planner! In her free time, she is an avid baker and board game player. She is also a member of the Run 169 Towns Society – a club where runners race in every Connecticut town!

Robert Zinn

Robert is Director of Summer Sciences in the Yale Summer Session and a Professor in the Yale Department of Astronomy.  For the YSS, he assists with the staffing of the science and math courses and teaches Astr S120 “Galaxies and the Universe”.  His scientific research is centered on telescopic investigations of the structure and evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy and the evolution of stars.  He holds B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in astronomy from CWRU and Yale, respectively.  His favorite pastimes are stargazing and astrophotography with small telescopes and swimming.