Earlier this fall, political scientist Jennifer Gandhi took on a new role within the Jackson School as its deputy dean.

Gandhi, an expert on authoritarian regimes and transitions to democracy, joined the Yale faculty in 2022 from Emory University, where she served as chair of the political science department.

In her short time as deputy dean, Gandhi has been focused on building the school’s curriculum, strengthening admissions efforts, and keeping track of faculty searches — all “foundational to any school,” she says. With Jackson only being a few years old, she sees an opportunity “to think about how these processes will be developed” and to involve faculty, staff and students each step of the way.

“In this role, you can’t do anything by yourself,” Gandhi says. “The great thing is that there are so many people here who are committed to Jackson’s growth and are thinking about ways to help or provide feedback. I think the community has a shared goal of making the school the best it can be.”

To get the community more involved, Gandhi views herself as “a connector;” for example, she is working with the admissions office to get students and faculty more involved in recruiting students. In turn, she is working with students and faculty to consider curricular issues. Doing this, she says, has provided her with a deeper understanding of the Jackson community that extends beyond the classroom.

“I’m regularly seeing and interacting with people that I wasn’t before,” Gandhi says, “and that helps build relationships with the people you are trying to serve.”

In addition to her role as deputy dean, Gandhi will continue to teach classes. This semester, she is teaching GLBL 5040, Comparative Politics for Global Affairs — a required course for MPP students — and PLSC 510, Introduction to the Study of Politics, a required course for PhD students in political science. In the spring, she will teach PLSC 416, Repression and Control in Dictatorships, an undergraduate course.

Gandhi takes over the deputy dean role from Lorenzo Caliendo, Won Park Hahn Professor of Global Affairs and Management.