Employee Spotlight - Pericles Lewis

What is your current role at Yale University? 

I am the Dean of Yale College. My role is to oversee the undergraduate curriculum, intellectual life, and residential experience. 

What’s your military affiliation? 

I have relatives in the military of whom I am very proud — a niece who is a lieutenant junior grade in the Navy, a brother-in-law and nephew who are U.S. Army veterans, and a cousin who is a Canadian military veteran. 

How does your military experience impact your position at Yale? 

Although I have not served in the military, I recognize the importance of providing veterans, as well as future military leaders, with the best education possible. I am very pleased that Yale College has attracted such an outstanding group of students through the Eli Whitney Students Program and the Navy and Air Force ROTC programs. Fifty veterans are currently enrolled in Yale College, and our ROTC programs boast even higher numbers.

Could you discuss some of the intangible skills that veterans bring to an organization? 

Because of their training, experience, and desire to give back, veterans make invaluable contributions in leadership and service. That is true wherever their career paths take them, but it is especially true at Yale College, where student leadership and service play a central role.

What do you think about the Yale Veterans Network? 

The YVN, like so many of the networks students form at Yale College, provides a shared sense of purpose, a group of peers who often bring similar questions, and a sense of connectedness, both to the university and to other staff. It’s an excellent resource.