School Notes: Yale Divinity School
July/August 2014

Planning for a sustainable campus

Yale Divinity School will implement a new three-year action plan to establish an enduring commitment to ecological health, human wellness, and economic viability through infrastructure upgrades, curriculum changes, and sustainability education. Dean Gregory E. Sterling wrote, “Our ethical stance towards life and intergenerational ethics requires that we make serious efforts to make our world sustainable.” The YDS Sustainability Action Plan, which has been approved by students, faculty, and the school’s administration, builds on several successful sustainability measures implemented on the Sterling Divinity Quadrangle since 2006. These include reducing waste through robust recycling and composting capacity, and reusable dishware; energy savings in residential buildings through installation of modlets and conservation incentives; a photovoltaic installation; mechanical upgrades; establishing “Nourish New Haven,” a conference on sustainable food systems; landscape improvements; and reducing energy consumption through automated lighting and awareness campaigns. 

A new dean at Berkeley Divinity

Andrew McGowan has been appointed president and dean of the Berkeley Divinity School and associate dean for Anglican studies at Yale Divinity School. Andrew has served in both faculty and administrative posts. He was associate professor of early Christian history at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1998–2003), before moving to the University of Melbourne, where he is the Joan F. W. Munro Professor of Historical Theology. He is currently the warden and president of Trinity College at the University of Melbourne. McGowan’s scholarly work focuses on the social and intellectual life of early Christian communities. He has authored two monographs and edited two others. His most recent book is entitled God in Early Christian Thought. An Anglican priest, he has served parishes in Perth, Australia. Andrew brings a wealth of academic, administrative, and pastoral experience and commitment to BDS and YDS. The search committee began its work to find a new dean in September 2013, guided by a draft vision statement of the BDS board of trustees, which prioritizes vibrant community, ecumenical learning, and innovative models for ministry.