Ronald Breaker, a pioneering biochemist and longtime leader in the sciences at Yale, has been named the next dean of science in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), FAS Dean Steven Wilkinson announced today in a message to the Yale community.
Breaker will begin a five-year term on July 1, 2026.
Breaker, Sterling Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry, joined Yale in 1995 after completing his Ph.D. at Purdue University and conducting groundbreaking work as a postdoctoral researcher at The Scripps Research Institute.
Breaker has a long track record of leadership in the FAS and service to Yale.
Since 2023, he has served as the chair of the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. From 2010 to 2016 he chaired the department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB), where he oversaw the recruitment and retention of faculty and guided the department as it provided crucial input toward the redesigned Yale Science Building (which officially opened in 2019). Breaker has also been a member of dozens of university-wide committees, including the Committee on Yale College Expansion and the Yale Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and chaired important committees including the Yale Committee on Risk Stratification - COVID-19 Research Restart.
"Ron's extensive experience working across the physical and biological sciences and his collaborations with Yale School of Medicine and other units across campus will make him an invaluable member of our team," wrote Dean Wilkinson in his message to the community. "I look forward to working closely with Ron as we continue supporting our excellent FAS science departments, faculty, and students in their research and teaching."
