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Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi Hoekstra Announces Launch of FAS Office for Academic Culture and Community

July 9, 2025

Dear colleagues,

I am writing to announce the launch of the new Office for Academic Culture and Community within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and to share that Brenda Tindal will serve as its inaugural executive director, reporting directly to me.

In this role, Brenda will lead efforts to strengthen our academic community through initiatives that foster connection, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose. Her work will span community-building, programmatic development, consultative services, and the curation of campus spaces. Brenda will also continue to serve as chief campus curator for the FAS.

This new office is part of the FAS’s ongoing effort to break down silos, ensuring all members of our community are connected, supported, and empowered to contribute to a thriving intellectual environment. As Brenda often describes it, this is about aligning people, place, and purpose in service to our academic mission. That vision will guide the office’s work in the years ahead.

More specifically, the Office for Academic Culture and Community will serve as a resource and partner to departments, faculty, staff, and researchers as we continue to work together to foster a culture rooted in care, curiosity, and collaboration. The team includes a managing director, department administrator, program coordinator, and three divisional fellows, who will collectively support the day-to-day operations of the office, as well as School-wide programming, and strategic engagement within our academic divisions and across the FAS. Under Brenda’s leadership, her team will pursue this work with a deep commitment to mutual respect, responsive stewardship, and collaborative partnerships.

Since her appointment as senior advisor on Academic Community Engagement in February 2024, Brenda has been a key thought partner to academic and administrative leaders. She has served as a member of the FAS Civil Discourse Working Group and as the co-chair of the Harvard & Legacy of Slavery Memorial Committee, among others. Brenda has worked intentionally to engage with our academic divisions and departments—convening listening sessions, consulting on emergent issues, and providing creative solutions to address community challenges. Over the past 18 months, she has surfaced valuable insights into how we might strengthen trust, deepen connection, and reinforce our shared commitment to academic excellence.

In the fall, Brenda will share details about the office’s work and invite feedback and ideas from across the community. She will also continue her close collaboration with leaders across our FAS Schools and units as they launch new approaches to building a vibrant and inclusive academic culture and community.

Please join me in congratulating Brenda on this important appointment and in supporting the many ways this office will contribute to vital work within the FAS.

Sincerely,
Hopi

Hopi Hoekstra
Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
C. Y. Chan Professor of Arts and Sciences
Xiaomeng Tong and Yu Chen Professor of Life Sciences