Dean of School of Physical Sciences
University of California San Diego
United States

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The Dean, reporting directly to the Executive Vice Chancellor, is the academic and administrative leader of the School of Physical Sciences, comprised of three sizeable and intellectually diverse academic departments – Chemistry & Biochemistry, Mathematics, and Physics - each with a full range of undergraduate and graduate programs, and research facilities. The School also offers interdisciplinary programs in science and mathematics education (California Teach - Science and Mathematics Education), supporting California’s need for qualified science and math teachers. Additionally, graduate students can pursue interdisciplinary study in computational science, mathematics and engineering; materials science; mathematics and science education; and quantitative biology.

The School of Physical Sciences also engages in joint faculty appointments with our Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, Jacobs School of Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Major research centers at UC San Diego involving Physical Sciences faculty include the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination, the Biocircuits Institute, The Center for Advanced Nanoscience, The Center for Aerosol Impacts on Climate and the Environment, The Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, The Center for Computational Mathematics, The Center for NMR Spectroscopy and Imaging of Proteins, San Diego Center for Systems Biology, the Synthetic Biology Institute, the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, the Institute for Materials Discovery and Design, the Center on Quantum Materials for Energy Efficient Neuromorphic Computing, the Qualcomm Institute, and the San Diego Supercomputer Center.

The Dean is responsible for providing academic, intellectual, and administrative leadership, and will promote inclusive excellence in all aspects of the School’s research, teaching and public engagement missions. The Dean will oversee recruitment of a diverse faculty and staff and will maintain an effective administrative structure to support the School’s programs and activities.

The Dean is responsible for the implementation of strategic plans and program improvement in the areas of: instruction; research; public engagement; academic planning; development and management of resources; and articulation of the goals and programs of the School with the profession, industry, and government at the local, state, national, and international levels. The Dean sets school goals; develops long-range plans; promotes high academic standards in instruction and research; promotes the needs of an outstanding diverse faculty and student body; provides leadership assistance to departments in resource and space needs, academic recruitments and advancement of faculty. The Dean works with campus administration, Academic Senate, and other academic units in the maintenance, innovation, development, and implementation of needed programs; and participates in campus-wide decisions and policy development through service on campus committees.

UC San Diego has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity among its faculty, staff, and students. The Dean is responsible for the recruitment and retention of a diverse community of scholars and further is charged to create an inclusive environment where all can thrive.

Scope:

• Responsible for all of the School’s activities in research, education, and administration.

• Provides leadership in the development of new academic initiatives and is instrumental in the review and approval processes for establishment of new departments, graduate and undergraduate programs or degrees, and curricular changes within the School.

• Provides leadership on programs and initiatives that improve student access, experience, and academic success.

• Cultivates partnerships for developing interdisciplinary programs and initiatives with units throughout the university.

• Authorizes the initiation of faculty recruitment, including negotiations. Approves faculty start-up packages. Ensures the establishment of appropriate onboarding and mentoring programs for new faculty.

• Maintains provision control of permanent and temporary faculty FTE and Teaching Assistant FTE allocated to the School.

• Reviews and/or has final authority for many academic personnel actions related to faculty appointments, merit and promotion reviews, or leaves and sabbaticals.

• Serves as the School’s academic affirmative action officer for all academic affirmative action compliance documents.

• Serves as the advocate and champion to the larger campus community on efforts to promote diversity, equal opportunity, inclusion, and the UC San Diego Principles of Community. Responsible for the School’s Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence accountability process and report.

• Responsible for promoting an environment in which the highest standards of ethical conduct are understood to be a primary responsibility of all members of the School.

• Responsible for engaging the faculty in enhancing the profile, visibility and prestige of the School, and for promoting and supporting a positive culture and the sense of collective purpose for the school.

• Cultivates local and national scientific and industrial affiliation and support.

• Initiates proposals and represents the school to extramural agencies for institutional support grants. Provides leadership for UC San Diego’s participation in competitions for large-scale, collaborative interdisciplinary research opportunities.

• Co-supervises the Directors of Development and Communications assigned to the School and works closely with University Advancement to engage alumni and cultivate major gifts in support of the School’s teaching, research and public engagement programs.

• Responsible for overseeing the school’s budgetary and space proposals and for the allocation of financial and space resources among the units within the School. Reviews and approves acquisition of infrastructure support for computing and communications. Responsible for overseeing the financial performance of the school including the avoidance of and recovery of overspending within the units of the school.

• Responsible for short- and long-range planning of minor and major capital improvement projects for the School. Approves requests for renovations and alterations in the School’s space. Serves on Building Advisory Committees of all School of Physical Sciences capital projects, usually as chair.

• Represents the School of Physical Sciences on various General Campus, campus-wide and University- wide committees as designated. Represents the School at the local, state, national, and international levels.

This search is being managed by Isaacson-Miller; inquiries can be directed to Silvia Cheng at [scheng@imsearch.com], and nominations, referrals and inquiries should be directed to Isaacson-Miller via [https://www.imsearch.com/search-detail/8791].

• A Ph.D. degree is required at the time of appointment.

• A distinguished record of teaching, research, and professional service appropriate for a tenured Full Professor appointment in the Physical Sciences at UC San Diego.

• A demonstrated commitment to and success in achieving institutional goals for equity, diversity, and inclusion and in establishing a culture grounded in ethical behavior and transparency.

• A demonstrated commitment to inclusive academic excellence and a compelling vision for the future of the School of Physical Sciences.

While no one person will likely embody all of the professional qualifications, skills, experiences, and personal qualities desirable in this role, the successful candidate will bring many of the following:

• Outstanding scholarly credentials and broadly recognized national/international stature.
• Demonstrated experience and success in stimulating stakeholder engagement in new directions, to promote existing resources to the best advantage, and to collaboratively build for the future.
• An understanding of and experience with the intertwined research, educational and public engagement missions of a major research university and the interplay between undergraduate and graduate education.
• Ability to encourage expression of diverse intellectual interests, foster varied modes of inquiry, and support wide-ranging pedagogical innovations.
• Ability to set clear goals and to build a coherent entrepreneurial organizational culture for both scholars and staff.
• Ability to engage the School openly and cooperatively. A record of achievement in working with a diverse academic community and creating an inclusive culture.
• Knowledge of and experience with promoting excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, academic personnel matters, and research affairs.
• Ability to interact effectively with faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and other administrators.
• Demonstrated leadership and administrative skills
• Ability to direct, mentor, and supervise staff.
• Demonstrated skill in fundraising, alumni relations, and industry partnerships.

The University of California, San Diego 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, covered veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of Full Vaccination or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, and/or Religious Objection) or Deferral (based on pregnancy) no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to Appendix F, Section II.C. of the policy for the deadlines applicable to new University of California employees. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

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