Since he first joined Times Opinion in 2003, David Brooks has occupied a singular role: He is our resident cartographer of the American soul. It is because of this lifelong commitment to teaching and intellectual growth that I share the news that David will be departing The Times to join Yale University as a presidential senior fellow. Yale’s gain is our readers’ loss.”Gail Collins, who was the editorial page editor when David joined Opinion, shared that “he really taught me how to have fun arguing with conservative columnists.”“It was a privilege and a pleasure to work with David,” his former editorial assistant Michal Leibowitz said. David leaves behind a standard for and a legacy of grace that has fundamentally shaped the modern American column. Please join me in congratulating David on this well-deserved fellowship and thanking him for 22 years of extraordinary service.