Head of the Dwight and Dian Diercks School of Advanced Computing and Direct Supply Chair of Applied AI and Software Innovation

Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) invites nominations and applications for the position of Head of the Dwight and Dian Diercks School of Advanced Computing and Direct Supply Chair of Applied AI and Software Innovation. The Head reports directly to MSOE’s Executive Vice President of Academics and has overall responsibility for leading the school’s academic programs. The Head will lead collaboratively with the school's faculty, staff, and students to strengthen and grow the School’s impact on society as a national leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and software engineering education. The School’s degree programs provide deep experience in applied AI, machine learning, and software engineering, and produce graduates who are highly sought after in industry. The Head will work from this strong foundation to broaden participation in the School’s advanced computing disciplines by expanding offerings, cultivating new audiences, and promoting the success of all students.  

DWIGHT AND DIAN DIERCKS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED COMPUTING

Currently known as the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department, the soon to be named Dwight and Dian Diercks School of Advanced Computing serves more than 400 students across two undergraduate programs in Computer Science and Software Engineering and nearly 100 students in professional master’s degree and graduate certificate programs in Machine Learning. The School has 23 full-time faculty members of various rank and expertise and two academic staff members who support the school’s faculty and students. Faculty in the School have a primary commitment to teaching and participate in scholarly activities to remain at the forefront of their fields of study.  These activities may include research with undergraduate students or master’s degree students, collaborations with researchers at other institutions, technical consulting in industry, and other professional development opportunities.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Overall, MSOE seeks to position itself as a nationally recognized leader in applied AI education. The institution’s leadership team and the MSOE Board of Regents are committed to reaching this goal. The Head of the School of Advanced Computing will play an important role in achieving this outcome and the corollary appointment as the Direct Supply Chair of Applied AI and Software Innovation will provide discretionary resources to support the attainment of this recognition. 

The successful applicant will be someone who:

• Embraces the MSOE mission, vision and values and maintains the School’s legacy of success as a strong student-centered, teaching-focused institution with an application-oriented curriculum that produces career-ready graduates
• Is a strategic thinker and doer who can articulate a compelling vision for the School and its impact both locally and nationally
• Works to grow the national reputation of the School including developing strong external visibility of the School’s assets
• Has a deep appreciation and passion for all of the School’s programs and is committed to invest in the growth of the School
• Is committed to broadening participation in advanced computing and improving success measures for all students
• Is collaborative in working together with the faculty, program directors and staff, both inside and outside of the School
• Is capable of fostering and forging partnerships with companies and industry leaders to create new educational models and paradigms
• Works with University Advancement and others to maintain and grow external support for the School and the institution
• Has a track record of building high-performance teams and is committed to build the leadership capacity of the School
• Is a servant leader who is committed to developing graduates that embody the MSOE Mindset and become leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners and value creators

The Head will pursue new opportunities that broaden the student experience and strengthen interdisciplinary experiences through cross-campus collaborations especially as it relates to supporting MSOE’s goal to be a nationally recognized leader in applied AI education. A terminal degree in one of the School’s program areas is preferred while candidates with non-traditional backgrounds will be considered. Preferably, the ideal candidate will possess significant university teaching experience and have industry experience in a field related to the School’s offerings.

This is a full-time, twelve-month administrative position and carries an Associate Professor or Professor rank commensurate with experience and credentials.  The position has the following administrative duties and responsibilities:

• Recruits, appoints, evaluates, and plans professional development for the School’s faculty
• Provides leadership for the ongoing improvement of program curricula, laboratory, and other physical resources necessary for effective instruction
• Is responsible for establishing the teaching and departmental assignments for the members of the School each semester
• Prepares an annual budget request for submission to the Executive Vice President of Academics, approves all expenditures from the School’s budgets, and ensures that expenditures do not exceed the approved budget allocations
• Consults with the School’s faculty on teaching methodology, course syllabi documentation and textbook selection, as appropriate
• Represents the School as a voting member on the Executive Educational Council as well as other institutional committees
• Prepares annual performance evaluations for faculty and staff within the School
• Provides leadership to program directors and faculty regarding ABET accreditation for the undergraduate programs in the School

The Head of the Dwight and Dian Diercks School of Advanced Computing and Direct Supply Chair of Applied AI and Software Innovation will be supported by the Program Directors of the undergraduate programs in Computer Science and Software Engineering, the Program Director of the Master of Science in Machine Learning, the Coordinator of the Graduate Certificates in Applied Machine Learning and Machine Learning Engineering, an Academic Systems Administrator for the high-performance computing infrastructure, and a full-time Administrative Assistant.

ABOUT MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Milwaukee School of Engineering is an independent, non-profit university with more than 2,800 students that was founded in 1903. MSOE offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a variety of engineering disciplines, computer science, actuarial science, nursing, business, user experience and construction management. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. Longstanding partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors who challenge them to go beyond what’s possible.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

For best consideration, please submit materials as soon as possible. The requested application materials, listed below, should be submitted using the DSG’s candidate portal.

1)            a letter of interest that addresses the responsibilities of the position

2)            a curriculum vitae