Gregory E. Sterling, who has led Yale Divinity School (YDS) as the Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean for nearly 15 years, will retire from the position at the end of the 2027 academic year, university leaders announced today.
Sterling, who has guided YDS through a significant period of growth and transformation, will remain on the faculty.
"During his tenure, YDS has expanded its academic programs, increased access to theological education, advanced initiatives focused on sustainability, justice, and community, renewed much of the school's physical campus, and raised funds in record-breaking amounts," President Maurie McInnis and Provost Scott Strobel wrote today in a message to the university community. "As dean, [he] has been instrumental in solidifying YDS as one of the world's preeminent centers for theological scholarship and a moral voice for addressing today's global challenges."
Over the course of his deanship, Sterling prioritized making the school more accessible and responsive to changing religious and cultural landscapes, McInnis and Strobel wrote. In 2015, he set out to provide full tuition for every student with demonstrated financial need. By 2022, the school had achieved this goal, covering full tuition and supporting partial living expenses for all students qualifying for need-based aid - 95% of the school's student body.
In their message, McInnis and Strobel also credited Sterling with building a dynamic community. Under his leadership, applications reached record levels, and the school emerged as one of the most selective of its kind in the world.
"At the same time, Greg has spearheaded an extraordinary era of philanthropic growth for the school," they wrote. "YDS raised more than $147.5 million during the current campaign - far surpassing previous fundraising records - enabling transformative investments in student life, financial aid, faculty support, and campus infrastructure."
A scholar committed to public leadership, Sterling oversaw a reimagining of YDS's signature Master of Divinity program to better prepare students for ministry in an increasingly complex world, McInnis and Strobel said. The school also expanded its Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) program to support new forms of ministry, including nonprofit leadership and other areas of public service.
An especially visible achievement of Sterling's deanship is the Living Village, the largest living-building residential complex on a university campus. "Designed to give back to the environment more than it takes, the Living Village is a defining achievement at Yale and serves as a model for bold solutions that benefit people and the planet," Yale's top leaders wrote.
Sterling's commitment to sustainability extended beyond the Living Village. He led the adoption of a carbon tax on faculty and staff air travel - the first such tax at Yale - using it to support environmental initiatives. The divinity school also established a religion and ecology concentration within the M.A.R. program, as well as certificates in religion and ecology and ecological leadership and ministry, positioning the school as a global leader in ecotheology and religion-based responses to climate change.
Sterling has also fostered seminal institutional partnerships and affiliations. In 2016, he led YDS's historic affiliation with Andover Newton Theological School, now Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School, broadening the school's ministerial education and denominational engagement. He also nurtured a historic affiliation with Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and a unique partnership with the Institute of Sacred Music, enriching students' opportunities for training in history, theology, music, and the arts.
Yale Divinity School additionally established and strengthened several centers and initiatives that broadened its public and academic reach, including the Center for Continuing Education, home to the certificate program in youth ministry, and the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy.
In their message, McInnis and Strobel celebrated Sterling's legacy and character.
"Colleagues, students, alumni, and friends know Greg as a talented leader and scholar who is motivated by his faith to treat all people with kindness and dignity," they wrote. "We admire his accomplishments and acknowledge the countless lives he has touched through his human-centered leadership."
Sterling himself called serving as dean "the honor of my career," and said it has also been "deeply meaningful personally: two of my grandfather's brothers earned Yale degrees. Coming to Yale brought our family full circle."
He continued: "During my deanship, I have had the privilege of working with three presidents, two provosts, and many decanal and administrative colleagues at Yale. I am grateful to them and above all to the faculty, staff, students, and supporters of YDS, whose collegiality and friendship have meant the world to me. Together, we have advanced YDS's mission and fostered an exceptional community devoted to theological knowledge and leadership."
In the months ahead, the provost's office will form a search advisory committee to help identify candidates for the school's next dean.
