Job Announcement: Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences

December 3, 2015

Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences

On behalf of Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Scott L. Waugh, members of the search committee invite inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences.

One of the four academic divisions of the UCLA College of Letters and Science, the Division of Physical Sciences benefits from synergies within the College while also enjoying a high level of autonomy as experienced by schools at comparable institutions. A national leader in science education and research, the division includes the six departments of atmospheric and oceanic sciences; chemistry and biochemistry; earth, planetary and space sciences; mathematics; physics and astronomy; and statistics. Also housed within the division are the Plasma Science and Technology Institute and the Institute for Planets and Exoplanets. The division works closely with many campus units, including the California NanoSystems Institute, UCLA–Department of Energy Institute of Genomics and Proteomics, Institute for Digital Research and Education, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, and Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, among others. The division, along with the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, interacts with the Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering and with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The division has 204 ladder faculty, 3,880 undergraduates, 740 graduate students and $170 million in annual expenditures. The work of its faculty – which includes 19 members of the National Academy of Sciences and has included five Nobel laureates – is recognized internationally and attracts approximately $84 million annually in support from federal funding agencies and private foundations.

The dean sets the standard of intellectual engagement and accomplishment for the division, providing strategic vision for and operational leadership of all aspects of the academic and scholarly program, promoting synergies within the College, encouraging distinctive programmatic innovation, and providing leadership to ensure excellence through diversity in undergraduate and graduate programs and faculty recruitment. Supporting the university’s research mission, the dean works to advance the faculty’s scholarly activities, including the opportunities that interdisciplinary approaches afford. In pursuing these responsibilities, the dean – reporting to the executive vice chancellor and provost – collaborates with the chancellor, executive vice chancellor and provost, vice chancellors, vice provosts, other deans and department chairs at UCLA and throughout the University of California system. As a member of the College Cabinet, the dean works closely with the deans of humanities, life sciences, social sciences and undergraduate education.

The successful candidate will be nationally recognized with strong scholarly visibility; demonstrated leadership in teaching, research and public service; and the capacity to exercise policy leadership at local, state, national and international levels. Minimum requirements include a record of distinguished teaching, research and intellectual leadership in the physical sciences; substantial administrative leadership, preferably in a research university; success in external and alumni relations and development; an established record of advancing diversity; and credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor. Experience in, and/or significant knowledge of, the University of California is preferred.

Confidential review of applications, nominations and expressions of interest will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. To be ensured full consideration, please email a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to PhysicalSciDeanSearch@conet.ucla.edu by Thursday, January 14, 2016. Address inquiries to Traci Considine, manager of executive recruitment in the Office of the Chancellor (310-206-8003).

The University of California is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity, and seeks candidates committed to a campus climate that supports equity and inclusion.