Former Penn President Liz Magill has been appointed as a volunteer fellow at Branford College — one of Yale University’s 14 residential colleges — marking her commitment to higher education despite a controversial resignation from Penn’s top post.
Magill — who joined Yale on April 8, according to the university’s Council of the Heads of College database — will work alongside more than 300 other Branford fellows. Her appointment was made at the request of Enrique De La Cruz, a professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale and the head of Branford College.
“I was honored to be asked by the head of Branford College to become a volunteer fellow at Branford College at Yale,” Magill wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Branford was my home for my four years as an undergraduate at Yale, and it will be a special pleasure to be a resource for interested students or other community members there.”
As an associate fellow at Yale — a position typically reserved for alumni, public figures, and community leaders — Magill will hold a renewable four-year term. Each Yale residential college can appoint up to five associate fellows annually.
De La Cruz wrote that Magill’s “deep connection to Branford and Yale, along with her commitment to serve as a resource for students” was why she accepted his invitation to be a fellow, in a statement to the DP.
“Liz’s expertise in higher education and law is exemplary and it will be valuable for the Branford and Yale communities to learn from her experiences,” De La Cruz wrote. “Students in Branford are excited for the opportunity to interact with an accomplished female leader who has been dedicated to her law profession and academic service.”
While fellows at Yale typically participate in community events and serve as informal mentors for students, Magill’s role will be non-residential. Non-resident fellows often serve as resources for students or faculty in the college who are interested in guidance.
Magill’s appointment comes nearly a year and a half after she stepped down as Penn’s ninth president. Her resignation followed mounting criticism over her remarks during a December 2023 congressional hearing on antisemitism on college campuses, where she testified alongside other university leaders.
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When asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violated Penn’s code of conduct, Magill responded that such speech would be “context-dependent.” Her answer sparked a national outcry from donors, lawmakers, and members of the public.
Earlier that fall, Magill also faced backlash after allowing the Palestine Writes Literature Festival to proceed on campus, which critics said included speakers with antisemitic views. She ultimately resigned from her role on Dec. 9, 2023.
The new position brings — who studied history at Yale — back to her academic beginnings. As an undergraduate, Magill served as the chair of the Yale College Council and a leader of the Yale College Democrats.
Magill’s career in higher education spans multiple institutions. In addition to her Penn presidency, she has served as dean of Stanford Law School and provost of the University of Virginia. Nine months after resigning from Penn, she joined both Harvard University and the London School of Economics for research. Magill also remains a tenured professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, a position she has held since 2022.
Magill also stepped down from several board positions based in Philadelphia following her Penn resignation, including her roles on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, according to her CV. She continues to serve on the Board of Trustees for the National Constitution Center, a position she has held since 2023.
