By Shoshanah Marcus, News Editor
*This article has be corrected to reflect the accurate former title of Dr. Nissel, as well as the accurate time between Joseph’s appointment and Nissel’s appointment.
Dr. Chaim Nissel, vice provost for Student Affairs, welcomed Dr. Sara Asher as the newly appointed Assistant Dean of Students in an email sent out to students on November 16, 2020.
This appointment follows recent changes to the administration. This past summer, Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph, former senior vice president of Yeshiva University, was appointed executive vice president (EVP) and chief operating officer (COO) of the Orthodox Union (OU). About a month later, on August 7, 2020, Dr. Chaim Nissel, the former dean of Students, was promoted to the role of vice provost for Student Affairs.
In his email sent to students, Dr. Nissel invited the Yeshiva University community to welcome Dr. Sara Asher as the new assistant dean of Students. Nissel stated that Asher’s responsibilities will include “oversee[ing] the areas of housing and student life as well as other aspects of the student experience on the Beren [C]ampus.” Dr. Nissel further explained to the YU Observer: “This new role of assistant dean of students is exclusively for the Beren Campus- to provide a senior leader to direct and help coordinate the Beren [C]ampus student experience, which takes place outside the classroom.”
Dr. Asher has worked at the YU Counseling Center for the eight years, which Nissel explained in the email, “has given her an appreciation for the YU community and has provided her with the expertise to guide students in their college years and beyond.” Nissel shared with the YU Observer, “Having someone of Dr. Asher’s caliber involved in the various services on Beren, and available to help individual students navigate college life, will undoubtedly help enhance the student experience.”
Beyond her experience in the YU Counseling Center, as Nissel explained in the email sent to students, Dr. Asher “earned her doctorate in psychology at Pace University and has since devoted her career to helping students thrive personally and academically. Dr. Asher comes with extensive experience working in schools and in clinical settings, both as an administrator and a psychologist.”
Dr. Sara Asher can be reached at sara.asher@yu.edu or on the fifth floor of 215 Lexington Avenue.