Job Announcement: Dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

November 21, 2022

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (UCLA Samueli). Consistently ranked in the top 10 among U.S. public engineering schools, UCLA Samueli is composed of seven departments: bioengineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering, as well as the Department of Computational Medicine, which is affiliated with both the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Samueli. The school is also home to a number of interdisciplinary research centers and institutes focused on artificial intelligence, carbon management, customizable computing, computer network architectures, cryptography and cybersecurity, big data mining and management, green nanotechnology, nanoscale materials and multiferroic systems, semiconductor chip design, renewable energy, risk sciences, the smart grid and wireless communications.

Located in Los Angeles, a hub for the electronics, information technology, aerospace, communications, environment, biomedicine and entertainment industries, UCLA Samueli offers more than 40 academic and professional degree programs and has an enrollment of nearly 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Its faculty includes distinguished experts and innovators leading research to address critical challenges of the 21st century. The school has more than 40,000 active alumni, nearly 200 full-time faculty members and has had over the years 85 NSF Faculty Early Career Award recipients, 16 Sloan Research Fellows, nine Presidential Early Career Award recipients, eight National Academy of Science members, two National Medal of Science laureates and one Nobel laureate. Thirty-five affiliated faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations abound, given the school’s close proximity to, and collaborations with, UCLA’s world-renowned health care system and professional schools in the health sciences, law, management and public affairs; dedicated biomedical, bioengineering, environmental and other science teaching and research facilities; and interdisciplinary units including the California NanoSystems Institute, the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as the Institute for Technology, Law and Policy — a joint institute with both UCLA Samueli and the School of Law.

As the chief executive and academic officer for UCLA Samueli, the dean provides strategic vision for and operational leadership of the school, which has an operating budget of approximately $200 million. Building on deep academic strength, the dean works to advance scholarship, education and civic engagement, promoting initiatives within and outside of UCLA; enhancing excellence through diversity and equity in educational programs and faculty and student recruitment and retention; and linking the work of the school’s faculty and students to other disciplines, communities and interests within and outside of the academy. The dean serves as the school’s public voice, articulating its contributions to local, state, national and international communities, and pursuing an aggressive development program to build the school’s resources. Reporting to the executive vice chancellor and provost, the dean serves on the deans council and the council of professional school deans, collaborating with the chancellor, executive vice chancellor and provost, vice chancellors and vice provosts, deans and department chairs at UCLA and across the University of California system.

We seek a visionary leader to build upon UCLA Samueli’s tradition of excellence, continue to enhance its diversity and expand its impact. Ideal candidates will be nationally recognized with substantial administrative leadership experience; strong scholarly visibility; and the capacity to exercise policy leadership at local, state, national and international levels. Minimum requirements include a demonstrated commitment to research, teaching and public service; a record of distinguished scholarly accomplishment and intellectual leadership in engineering and/or applied science; substantial administrative leadership at a research university; proven success in — or aptitude for — external and alumni relations and development; an established record of advancing equity, diversity and inclusion; and credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor.

Situated on 419 acres, five miles from the Pacific Ocean, UCLA is enriched by the cultural diversity of the dynamic greater Los Angeles area, as well as the geographic advantages of Southern California. One of the world’s preeminent public research universities, UCLA is an international leader in breadth and quality of academic, research, health care, wellness, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs, with more than 5,200 faculty members who teach approximately 47,500 students in the UCLA College and 12 professional schools. UCLA is consistently ranked among the top institutions nationally for research funding, having generated $1.7 billion in research grants and contracts in the last fiscal year alone.

Confidential review of applications, nominations and expressions of interest will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. Address nominations, inquiries and applications to our Isaacson, Miller consultants Belén Gutiérrez, Cati Mitchell-Crossley and Vijay Saraswat via the Isaacson, Miller website. To be ensured full consideration, please submit a letter of interest — including a diversity statement — and curriculum vitae by March 1, 2023.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.