Dean, College of Engineering

The University of Connecticut (UConn), one of the nation’s leading public research universities, seeks a visionary and dynamic leader to serve as the Dean of the College of Engineering. UConn seeks candidates with a strong record in academic leadership, research and scholarship, and external partnerships that will enable them to provide leadership to a research and educational enterprise across multiple campuses while being a highly effective external advocate for the College. The next Dean should have a strong record in research, scholarship, and teaching and experience with complexities and opportunities at top-tier research universities.

The University of Connecticut was founded as an agricultural school in 1881 thanks to a donation of land, property, and resources from brothers Charles and Augustus Storrs. More than 140 years later, UConn is a top-ranked public university in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report with an enrollment of 24,000 undergraduate and 8,000 graduate students across all its campuses. The University is one of the few institutions in the country that is designated as a Land Grant, Sea Grant, and Space Grant institution. UConn is consistently ranked in the top 30 out of 225 public institutions in the country by U.S. News and World Report, currently ranked #26. Across over 4,200 acres of land, the University includes 14 Schools and Colleges with over 80 research centers. Currently, UConn is producing $368 million in annual research expenditures. The University is also a key economic driver for the state, contributing nearly $7 billion and 32,000 jobs to Connecticut. UConn’s richly diverse and inclusive campus community is enhanced by more than 700 clubs and organizations, 24 NCAA Division I athletics teams, seven cultural centers and programs, five on-campus theaters, three museums, and one of the highest percentages of students living on campus of any public university. Additional information about UConn can be found at https://uconn.edu/.

UConn’s College of Engineering is a powerhouse for research and engineering education in the State of Connecticut and beyond. The College is the #1 public engineering school in New England and provides approximately 53 percent of Connecticut’s engineering graduates. Leaders at the College work with local, national, and international industry partners to address pressing technological challenges and strengthen the state’s manufacturing base. Entrepreneurship and innovation are key values at the College, and its students and faculty actively develop startups and new technologies in support of economic development. Equally important, initiatives in engineering for human rights, energy, environmental sustainability, brownfields, cybersecurity, and other current issues demonstrate the College’s enduring commitment to addressing major challenges facing society. Additional information on the College can be found at https://www.engr.uconn.edu/.

Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs for all matters, the Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the College of Engineering, responsible for providing strategic vision and operational leadership to all aspects of the academic and scholarly program.

Reporting to the Dean are the Associate Dean for Research and Industrial Partnerships, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Diversity, Assistant Dean for Administrative Operations & Strategic Initiatives, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, and seven department heads. In addition, the office of the Dean of the College of Engineering is staffed by an Associate Finance Director, Administrative Program Manager (2), Administrative Program Support (4), and an Educational Program Administrator.

The successful candidate will be a nationally recognized, self-assured, entrepreneurial leader prepared to advance the initiatives and priorities of the University’s academic vision. The Dean should also have a strong record of scholarly activity and research and be willing to support the College’s faculty in developing their own research portfolios. Candidates will be expected to broaden participation among members of under-represented groups; demonstrate through research, teaching, and/or public engagement the commitment to, and support of, diversity in the learning experience; and provide leadership in developing initiatives designed to meet the needs of diverse learners and intellectual interests. In addition, the ideal candidate will be an independent thinker dedicated to collaborative governance, will possess a leadership style that values diversity and inclusion, will be a sophisticated administrator capable of building strong working relationships, committed to the search for new knowledge, and able to imagine new possibilities for the College of Engineering.

Additional information can be found in the detailed position profile.

The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately. Requested application materials include:

• A cover letter, articulating interest and responding to the position challenges and objectives outlined above. The Cover letter should include a robust statement on the candidate’s familiarity and comfort with diversity, equity, and inclusion and examples of their leadership in those domains.
• Curriculum vitae
• Names and contact information for 3-4 professional references.

Applications will be welcomed until the time that a Dean is selected. For guaranteed consideration, candidates should submit materials by December 13, 2023, to:

Tom Fitch, Managing Director

Brian Bustin, Senior Associate

Storbeck Search

[email protected]