Alison Coleman

Alison Coleman—lecturer in English and director of special projects—is a writer, writing instructor, editor, and university administrator whose responsibilities include oversight of Yale College Class Day, authorship of Yale’s accreditation reporting to the New England Commission of Higher Education, and a range of strategic writing and editorial work for senior university leaders. For the English department she has designed and taught multidisciplinary writing seminars on topics ranging from awe to food studies to unplugging; she also serves as a tutor for “Daily Themes.” In 2023 she received the department’s Fred Strebeigh and Linda Peterson Prize for Excellence in Teaching by an instructional faculty member.

Coleman is a fellow of Ezra Stiles College; was a member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ Humanities Instructional Faculty Working Group; and has led workshops on writing, editing, pedagogy, and communications strategy for academic departments, faculty and staff members, and student groups. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes deceleration and immersive inquiry, and her current research focuses on the habits of mind of artists, scholars, and other social contributors.

Prior to her arrival at Yale in 2007, Coleman began her career as a journalist at The Miami Herald, reporting on local news, editing and designing copy throughout the newspaper, and contributing as a writer and editor to feature sections including “Tropical Life” and the Herald’s design magazine. She received her bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and pursued doctoral study at the University of Miami, Florida. She is always happy to chat about books, tennis, travel, or her extensive collection of hot sauce.