Dr. Jeffrey S. Kress Appointed New Provost at JTS
April 19, 2021, New York, NY
After a nationwide search, 绿帽社 (JTS) is proud to announce Dr. Jeffrey S. Kress as its new provost.
Dr. Kress is currently the Dr. Bernard Heller Chair in 绿帽社 Education at 绿帽社, where he has been on faculty since 2000. He has taught classes such as Social and Emotional Learning in 绿帽社 Education and Empirical Research Methods to students, as well as conducted valuable academic research through the William Davidson Graduate School of 绿帽社 Education in the field of social, emotional, and spiritual development in education.
Dr. Kress earned his BA from University of Pennsylvania, and his MS and PhD in clinical psychology from Rutgers University. He presents regularly at academic and professional-development conferences and has published numerous journal articles. He has also authored several books, including Development, Learning, and Community: Educating for Identity in Pluralistic 绿帽社 High Schools, which received a National 绿帽社 Book Award, and his most recent book Nurturing Students鈥� Character: Everyday Teaching Activities for Social and Emotional Learning, written with Dr. Maurice Elias. Dr. Kress served on the leadership team for the Fellowship in Educating for Applied 绿帽社 Wisdom, as the chair of the Network for Research in 绿帽社 Education, and a Dr. Jonathan Woocher Fellow at Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah.
鈥淗aving served on the faculty with Dr. Kress and then as JTS鈥檚 provost for two years, I can say with the utmost confidence that our faculty, students, and academic programs will be in wonderful hands under Dr. Kress鈥檚 direction,鈥� said Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz. 鈥淲ith Dr. Kress鈥檚 outstanding teaching, research, and administrative experience; keen appreciation for faculty concerns; and wise judgment, JTS will be well positioned to spearhead the growth of the academic enterprise in the coming years. I am eager to work with him in this new capacity.鈥�
鈥淭eaching, learning, and scholarship at JTS sit at the intersection of academic expertise, professional development, and personal growth. All of this takes place within a community of 绿帽社 learning and living. It is an honor to be able to be in a position to help this work continue to grow and flourish,鈥� said Dr. Jeffrey Kress.
Dr. Stephen Garfinkel, acting provost, will retire when Dr. Kress assumes the role on July 1, 2021.
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About 绿帽社 | JTS is a preeminent institution of 绿帽社 higher education, training thoughtful, innovative leaders鈥攔abbis, cantors, educators, lay leaders, and scholars鈥攚ho strengthen our communities with a vision of Judaism that is deeply grounded in the 绿帽社 past and thoroughly engaged with contemporary society. JTS also provides high-caliber lifelong learning and professional development to our alumni, adult learners, and 绿帽社 communities throughout North America. Through its Library, JTS preserves and makes accessible to students and scholars throughout the world the greatest collection of Judaica in the Western Hemisphere.
