The Dean of the Baskin School of Engineering is the chief academic and administrative officer of one of UC Santa Cruz's most prominent and strategically significant academic units. Reporting to the campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, the Dean provides vision, leadership, and operational stewardship across all dimensions of the school's academic, research, and administrative enterprise. This role is for an accomplished scholar-leader with a strong record of research and teaching, demonstrated experience in academic administration, and the external presence to represent Baskin Engineering compellingly to industry partners, philanthropic supporters, government agencies, and the broader academic community. The Dean will be expected to advance the school's research profile, strengthen its graduate and undergraduate programs, recruit and retain exceptional faculty, and deepen the school's connections to Silicon Valley and the global technology industry. The successful candidate will bring experience navigating the complexities of a major public research university, a genuine commitment to inclusivity in engineering education, and the collaborative instincts required to lead a diverse faculty community while working effectively across a complex institutional environment.
The successful candidate will be a nationally recognized, self-assured, entrepreneurial leader prepared to advance the University's academic vision and its initiatives and priorities. The Dean will possess a strong record of scholarly activity and research and be willing to support the School's faculty in developing their own research portfolios. Candidates will be expected to broaden participation among members of underrepresented groups; demonstrate, through research, teaching, and/or public engagement, a commitment to and support for 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, possess a leadership style that values diversity and inclusion, be a sophisticated administrator capable of building strong working relationships, be committed to the search for new knowledge, and be able to imagine new possibilities for the School of Engineering.
Minimum Qualifications- Demonstrated academic administrative leadership (e.g., Department Chair, Institute or Center Director);
- National or international distinction as a scholar, researcher, and educator with a record necessary for a position as a full professor in the School of Engineering
- Experience fostering interdisciplinary research and education, including the development of new programs;
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with administrators, faculty, students, and staff in an environment of shared governance;
- Appreciation for the mission and responsibilities of a public R1 university serving a multi-ethnic state and a demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion;
- Demonstrated success in fundraising and securing external support;
- Ability to cultivate and develop positive relations with internal and external constituents, including alumni, members of the community, businesses, and donors, locally and beyond.
