Nickerson, VP for communications, to step down for venture capital role

Nate Nickerson, who leads Yale’s Office of Public Affairs and Communications (OPAC) as vice president for communications, will step down from the role Sept. 23 to become the communications and public affairs partner for Palo Alto-based venture capital firm DCVC, President Peter Salovey announced today.

Nickerson, who came to Yale from MIT, has made “an indelible imprint” on the university, Salovey said, helping the Yale community celebrate its common experiences, work together to address pressing challenges, and share with the world the accomplishments of its faculty, students, staff, and alumni. And he has created a talented team at OPAC, he said, “capable of building on his and their collective work.”

“Nate arrived at Yale with a clear vision on how best to use communications to support the pursuit of Yale’s mission,” Salovey wrote in a message to the Yale community. “He restructured OPAC to foster a greater focus on Yale’s teaching and research, engage deeply and systematically with the media on the work of all schools and departments, and nurture a collaborative approach to the university’s digital strategy.

“As a result of his efforts, Yale has enjoyed more favorable interest from the wider world.”

OPAC’s flagship editorial project, the Yale Today daily email, launched by Nickerson and his team in January 2020, has been opened more than 30 million times by readers within the Yale community and beyond. A bold approach to OPAC’s work with the media has meanwhile led to significant gains in the quality and amount of Yale’s presence in news coverage. And these increases in “owned” and “earned” media have led to a significant growth in Yale’s social media presence.

In moments of local, national, and international importance, Salovey said, Nickerson has been “a sure and steady advocate for human-centered, direct, and principled communications, and he has supported and convened public affairs professionals across the university.” For instance, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nickerson led the “Healthy Yale” campaign, which through digital and physical communications has helped guide the community toward adherence to the changing health protocols. “That data-driven, cross-unit, and sustained work,” Salovey wrote, “has set a new model for Yale-wide communications.”

Likewise, the Yale Visitor Center, which is part of OPAC, has provided tremendous support to the Admissions Office over the past two years, allowing Yale to give tours to prospective undergraduate students at a time of great disruption.

Creative, solutions-driven communications across Yale, Salovey said, have helped the university sustain its operations.

“Nate thinks clearly in a crisis and thinks boldly in moments of opportunity,” said Yale Provost Scott Strobel. “During his time here, he developed and implemented an exceptional vision for communicating the wonder of Yale to the world. He has been a key strategic partner in the implementation of our academic priorities, and he created the communication plans to advance public health during the pandemic.”

Last year, Yale’s Internal Communications team moved from Human Resources to OPAC. Powered by the belief that Yale is made stronger “by honoring those who work ably and proudly on its behalf,” Salovey said, Nickerson and the team studied how individuals have been responding to the dramatic changes to how we work that have resulted from the pandemic. “Over the fall semester,” the president said in his message, “you will see communication efforts from that group that will help us attract, inspire, and retain Yale’s exceptional staff.”

Said Joan O’Neill, Yale’s vice president for alumni affairs and development: “Nate has led the talented team at the Office of Public Affairs and Communications with a generosity of spirit and vision that has enhanced the university’s efforts to build stronger communities of alumni, parents, donors, and friends.

“With a combination of teamwork, insights, and expertise, his leadership helped bring to life the values behind Yale’s ‘For Humanity’ capital campaign for our alumni and community.”

Before coming to Yale, Nickerson led communications for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earlier, he served in editorial leadership roles at MIT Technology Review and at Fast Company magazine. Throughout his career in higher education, he has served within the Public Affairs group of the Association of American Universities.

“I am deeply grateful to President Salovey for having given me the opportunity to serve Yale, and for placing great trust in me and the extraordinary team it has been my honor to lead,” Nickerson said. “I wish my dear OPAC colleagues the best as they continue to put their great talent, dedication, and integrity to work in support of one of the world’s great treasures.”

Salovey said he will soon launch a search for Nickerson’s successor.