At the forefront of Saybrook is the Head of College (HoC). In the role as chief administrative officer, the HoC sets the college’s intellectual and cultural tone, just as they are responsible for students’ physical safety and well-being. Together with the Associate Head of College, the HoC oversees and cultivates the college’s social life, hosting study breaks, Saybrook Teas, trips, and other events. The HoC and Associate Head of College live amidst the students in the Saybrook “Biggs House” where many events are coordinated.
The Assistant Director of Operations ensures the smooth functioning of the college. In addition to coordinating its events and maintaining its facilities, the AD oversees the college’s finances, serves as a liaison between the college and the business office, and supervises special projects.
Supporting the Head of College is the senior administrative assistant, who handles the day-to-day business in the Saybrook Office. While coordinating with the staff in staging the college’s events, the senior AA works especially closely with students and the SCC in support of their many activities.
The Saybrook Aides staff the front desk of the Saybrook office and help students and visitors with the million questions they bring to the office. The aides can help with reserving a room, getting keys, signing out a DVD or board game, or registering a party.
Head of College Thomas Near
Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Curator in Vertebrate Zoology at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Chair of the EEB Department, and Head of Saybrook College, Thomas Near earned a B.S. in biological sciences and a B.A. in history from Northern Illinois University in 1993, a Ph.D. in ecology, ethology, and evolution from the University of Illinois, and a Center for Population Biology postdoctoral fellowship at University of California, Davis. Prior to arriving at Yale in 2006 Prof. Near was an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee.
At Yale Prof. Near has serves as the Chair of the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and was Editor-In-Chief for the journal Systematic Biology. From his first semester as a member of the Yale faculty, Prof. Near has been a fellow of Saybrook College serving as a first year advisor and since 2015 the Head of College.
Prof. Near’s research uses genomic data to reconstruct the evolutionary history of fishes. Focusing on North American freshwater fishes and a lineage of fishes endemic to Antarctica, his research seeks to understand the mechanisms that generate and maintain biodiversity. An interesting by product of this research is the discovery and description of new species of fishes. As a curator in the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Prof. Near has supervised a dramatic increase in the research collection of fishes, with a large number of important specimens resulting from field work with Yale undergraduates. Prof. Near’s research has resulted in the publication of more than 175 scientific papers. He teaches courses in ichthyology, phylogenetics, and evolutionary biology. You can learn more about Prof. Near’s research at nearlab.org
Prof. Near is from the Northcenter/West Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago and is a rare example of someone who roots for both the Cubs and White Sox. Given that the only time the two teams faced off in the World Series was 1906, he is assured that he will never have to choose the best of his favorites.
Associate Head of College Allison NearAllison Near earned a B.A. in English and French from Colgate University, and a J.D. from Northeastern University. Allison grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, but she relocated to Connecticut in 2006. Since landing in New Haven, Allison has worked as a legal aid attorney at New Haven Legal Assistance, Inc. and as an Assistant Federal Public Defender. Presently, she is a partner at the New Haven law firm of Jacobs & Dow, LLC, where she focuses her practice on criminal defense and general civil litigation. Allison loves to cook, enjoys camping with her family, and has season theater tickets to the Yale Rep. Allison and Tom live with their two school aged daughters, Alice and Becca, and their two cats, Basil and Snowball. The girls can often be seen in the courtyard sharing baked goods, organizing games, or putting on impromptu performances. |
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Ann Marie GilmoreSenior Administrative Assistant II, Head’s Office Ann Marie Gilmore is at the center of the action in the Saybrook office, handling the heavy volume of its day-to-day business. If you’re looking for information about applying for one of Saybrook’s fellowships, using one of the college’s public spaces, or planning an event, Ann Marie is the person to see. Because Ann Marie works so closely with the Saybrook Aides, the Assistant Director of Operations, and the Head of College, she’s a great resource to turn to whenever you’re not sure where to start with a project you’re just getting off the ground. You can reach her by phone, at 203 432-0540, or by e-mail. |
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Kristin ButlerAssistant Director of Operations, Saybrook College Kristin Butler joined Saybrook College on August 1 as its new Operations Manager. Kristin started at Yale in 2011 and comes to Yale College from Hospitality; her previous position was in Berkeley as a Guest Experience Manager. Kristin is thrilled to be part of the Saybrook Community. You can reach her by phone at 203-432-0532, or by e-mail. |
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Saybrook Aides:
Head Saybrook AideSatia Hatami
Satia Hatami is a junior from Southern California majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics with a certificate in Energy Studies. If she’s not in the Saybrook College Office, you can find her in the Saybrook Dining Hall, the 12 Pack with her suitemates, or the Asian-American Cultural Center where she works as an AACC-MENA Peer Liaison. Satia is also a member of La Casa and serves as the Media Chair for the Yale Society of Women Engineers. She is definitely a coffee person but tries to avoid it because it gives her heart palpitations. In her free time, she loves to read or go on explorative walks with her friends.
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Maria Arozamena
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Sarah Cheung
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Callie Krueger
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Chernice Mbogori
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Nikita Paudel
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Sasha Post-Lais
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Aryana Ramos-Vazquez
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Maria, ‘26, comes from sunny Tampa, Florida, and is proud to consider herself a Pitbull enthusiast (dale). A prospective English major (but still deeply confused), she’s involved with the Yale Student Environmental Coalition, Project Environmental Culture of Responsibility (ask her about the intersection of environmentalism + the arts!), and serves as co-president of the Cuban-American Undergraduate Students Association. Come say hi if you find her napping in the Saybrary, studying in the basement, or faithfully in the dining hall every Saybrook Taco Tuesday!
Sarah Cheung ‘25 is from San Francisco and is a proud Hong Kong-American! She is majoring in Environmental Studies, is part of the Human Rights program, and is pursuing certificates in Data Science and Chinese (queen of “and” and doing too much). She also is the co-pitch (musical director) of 
Callie, class of ‘25, is from rural Wisconsin and likes to make it her whole personality. She plans to major in EVST and/or ENVE, and pursue a Spanish certificate. When not in the SY College Office, you’ll find her on the courts in Lanman, the 
Chernice Mbogori is a junior from Nairobi, Kenya majoring in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Within her major, she plans to focus on the impact of gender in shaping public policy and government structures. Outside of working as an aide, she is involved in the 
Nikita (she/her), class of ‘25, is an FGLI student originally from Nepal who now resides in Baltimore, Maryland. She is intending to study Global Affairs and human rights. She works multiple jobs on campus such as being a Saybrook College Aide (the best college aides to ever exist) and a vaccine verifier for Yale College of Arts. Nikita also interns for the International Rescue Committee with their Asylee Casework Team to help asylum seekers and refugees resettle into the US. Outside of work, Nikita is involved in various student organizations such as the 
Sasha, Class of 2026, is from upstate New York, right in the capital of the state. She is studying Ethics, Politics and Economics (If she can get the pre-reqs done in time). When not in the office, you can find her at PWG or Gilder boathouse with the rest of the Yale Women’s Crew team or trying to join every pre-law group on campus. In her free time, she likes to read, write, daydream and go get her papers checked at the writing center.
Aryana Ramos-Vazquez is a sophomore majoring in Biomedical Engineering from Tuxedo Park, New York. When she’s not in the Saybrook College Office, you can definitely find her working as a Student Coordinator (or just drinking a cup of Cafe Bustelo and doing work in the kitchen) at La Casa Cultural, her other second home at Yale, or on the second floor of Sterling’s Music Library, curled on an armchair. Aryana also loves to sing, and you can find her performing in Woolsey Hall or on tour with the Yale Glee Club! She loves napping, drinking mint tea, reading, and going on long walks with Noah Kahan’s music on :).