Zeke Bernstein
Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Dean of the College
Zeke Bernstein oversees the systems, structures, and staff that enable the dynamic and individualized education that is at the heart of the Bennington experience. A champion for students and their success, Bernstein manages multiple teams in supporting a compelling, integrated, and holistic educational experience, in and out of the classroom. Bernstein also leads in the development of new degree programs and educational pathways for students, and is stewarding the establishment of a new graduate division at the College. He is the Accreditation Liaison Officer to NECHE, and frequently serves as a peer reviewer on visiting teams in the northeast.
Bernstein, a geneticist, earned his BA from Carnegie Mellon University and his PhD from Harvard Medical School, where his research focused on the molecular underpinnings of health and disease. His original research has been published in Current Biology, Journal of Immunology, Genes and Immunity, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, among others. Since coming to Bennington, Bernstein has taught courses on a range of topics; mentored students, both formally and informally; conducted primary educational research on retention and student success, alumni outcomes, and learning assessment; and joined faculty and students on a health survey of the impacts of PFAS in the community. And he continues to contribute his thought leadership in higher education, presenting at national conferences including the Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning, the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities. He has recently published a chapter on assessment and student outcomes as part of an edited volume on innovation in higher education.