Allegra di Bonaventura '02 J.D., '08 Ph.D., the lead academic dean for students across all degree programs in Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), and a highly regarded member of the Graduate School administration since 2011, died on April 29 in New Haven, some months after a serious fall. She was 62.
The variety of di Bonaventura's academic achievements, developed during and after her college years, made her a perfect fit for what became her Graduate School role. She majored in history and German at Middlebury College, received an A.M. in German through the Middlebury College in the Mainz (Germany) program, held a graduate diploma from the London School of Economics, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Finally, she earned a Ph.D. in History from Yale, awarded with distinction, and received the George Washington Egleston Prize for the best dissertation in American history.
In 2008, she started working at Yale after some years at a law firm and teaching law, first at Yale University Library, and then at the Benjamin Franklin Papers, which drew on her expertise in history, her linguistic abilities in German, French, and Italian, and her editorial skills. All of this previous experience offered valuable background for her position at GSAS, where she moved from being an assistant and associate dean, overseeing many aspects of graduate education, to a stint at Yale Law School, where she administered four "boutique" degree-granting graduate programs designed to train the next generation of leading legal scholars, and finally to her position as lead academic dean at GSAS in 2021.
Another helpful experience for her role, which required dealing with distinguished faculty and with aspiring scholars on a daily basis, was her own scholarly accomplishment. Her 2013 book, "For Adam's Sake: A Family Saga in Colonial New England," was selected as one of the year's best books by The Wall Street Journal and earned her the James P. Hanlan Book Award from the New England Historical Association, and the Homer D. Babbidge, Jr. Award for best book on Connecticut history. Altogether, her scholarship combined with the breadth of her earlier experiences gave her the stature, experience, and capability to navigate the complex issues of graduate education.
One after another, colleagues wrote to express their respect for her excellence in her role and their sorrow at her loss.
Lynn Cooley, the C. N. H. Long Professor of Genetics at the Yale School of Medicine and dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, emphasized di Bonaventura's breadth and versatility. "Her portfolio evolved a great deal over the years," Cooley wrote, "and she consistently and creatively activated new ideas that significantly improved both work efficiency and our capacity to support graduate students through their time at Yale."
Karla Neugebauer, the R. Selden Rose Professor in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine remembered di Bonaventura's ability to help navigate challenging situations during the pandemic. "I recall having several difficult cases and found her to be a practical problem solver but also an understanding and calming influence," Neugebauer said. "Whenever I contacted her with a problem, I felt sure that we would find a solution together, and that was really a gift."
Colleagues also commented on di Bonaventura's ability to calm troubled waters.
"She was particularly thoughtful with both students and faculty navigating tough circumstances," Cooley wrote. And James Noonan, the Albert E. Kent Professor of Genetics at YSM described her as "personally invested in student welfare. She helped me navigate several difficult cases as DGS - including cases in which she intervened directly, to our students' benefit. I would have been at a loss without her help."
Everyone who knew di Bonaventura emphasized her personal grace. Charles Greer, professor of neurosurgery and of neuroscience at YSM, spoke for many when he noted her ability to connect with others and make them feel valued. "Whenever I happened to be at Warner House I was always greeted with a wonderful smile and an enthusiastic inquiry into how everything was going for me," he said.
Summing up, Dean Cooley spoke for all her colleagues in concluding, "We miss Allegra every day - her optimism, kindness, warmth, and friendship."
Allegra di Bonaventura is survived by her husband, James Rosenbluth; her children, Andrew and Alessandra Hogan; her stepchildren, Benjamin, John, and William Rosenbluth; and her siblings, Lorenzo and Laura di Bonaventura.
