Dean of the College of Engineering

Dean of the College of Engineering

Employer: Utah State University

Location: Utah, United States

Salary: Salary Not specified

Posted Date: Dec 18, 2023

Position Type: Faculty Positions, Science, Technology & Mathematics, Engineering

Employment Level: Executive

Employment Type: Full Time

Overview

Utah State University (USU) invites nominations and applications of individuals to provide leadership and a dynamic vision as Dean of the College of Engineering. Utah State University is a Carnegie-recognized R1 institution, and Utah's land-grant and space-grant university with $290M in annual research funding for each of the past three years. Founded in 1888, USU enrolls nearly 20,000 students at its main campus in Logan, including 1,300 graduate students. Another 7,700 students enroll at USU's nine Statewide campuses, two dozen teaching centers, and in its internationally based and online programs. In addition, over 3,000 high school students are enrolled in USU courses as part of an innovative statewide concurrent enrollment program.

USU's College of Engineering is comprised of innovative, passionate, and committed faculty who are actively engaged in exciting advances in research and preparing tomorrow's leaders to solve problems in engineering and engineering education. The college serves approximately 1,760 undergraduate and approximately 300 graduate students across five academic departments (Biological Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Engineering Education, and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering) and is home to nine research centers, including the NSF-funded Engineering Research Center Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE) and the world-renowned Utah Water Research Lab. Six college programs are accredited by ABET. The college employs a growing faculty of 79 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 6 research faculty, and 11 teaching faculty.

In 2022, highly competitive engineering faculty had $31.5 million in research expenditures from top agencies. Currently, there are 10 faculty who have been awarded the NSF CAREER award, one that received the Office of Naval Research YIP Award, and 1 that received the Air Force YIP Award. College faculty and students are actively engaged with USU's Innovation Campus, a business development and enterprise facility, and USU's industry-leading Space Dynamics Laboratory. USU engineering students thrive in outreach programs such as Engineers without Borders, Society of Women Engineers, and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. In addition, they excel in design competitions such as the Society of Automotive Engineers Baja Competition and the IEEE International Future Energy Challenge

As chief academic officer for the College of Engineering, the dean will report directly to the provost. In addition to a strong academic background and credentials sufficient for appointment to the rank of full professor, the successful candidate will:

• Provide strong leadership and dynamic vision for the College of Engineering that accelerates the college's success in the current and future landscape of higher education.
• Encourage and facilitate substantial growth of the college's research enterprise including funding success, strong research infrastructure support, interdisciplinary collaboration, new areas of innovation and partnership, publications with high impacts, and enhanced college reputation and leadership.
• Guide the development and continuing support of high-quality academic credential and degree programs that provide transformative learning experiences to position USU students for rewarding and impactful engineering careers in service of 21st-century societal challenges.
• Promote a learning environment that includes programs and process which enhance student belonging and success as parts of positive enrollment management strategies.
• Enhance and cultivate relationship and partnerships with alumni, Utah government officials and legislators, industry stakeholders, and the local community to establish and grow the research ecosystem.
• Lead and strongly advocate for equity and diversity in the college by exemplifying and cultivating an inclusivity culture with respect to students, staff, and faculty.
• Effectively, responsibly, and strategically manage financial, infrastructural, and personnel resources in the college.
• Lead robust fundraising efforts that align with the university and college-specific strategic plans and provide resources that champion a thriving institution, ensure vision attainment, and advance campaign success.
• Engage the dean's advancement board, as well as college alumni and friends in innovative ways that ensure exceptional experiences and advance the college's mission and future success.

The College of Engineering has built strong partnerships with regional and national organizations such as the USU Space Dynamics Laboratory, industries, and state agencies. The dean will strengthen and expand upon these partnerships to support innovation, work toward common goals, adapt to industry/government needs, and modernize higher education.

Be an active, collaborative, and contributing member of the university's academic leadership team. Establish and maintain a strong marketing and communication strategy, in collaboration with University Marketing and Communications, that informs constituencies and partners external to the college and which also facilitates frequent, open, and honest communication within the college and institution. Prioritize the university's land grant mission and its imperative for inclusive access through expansion and responsive delivery of educational programs, research and outreach throughout the USU statewide campus system. Ensure the College of Engineering meets ABET accreditation standards and principles. Lead the college in ways that reflect highest personal standards of integrity, ethics, and professionalism and address issues of inequity and Title IX with all due process to foster a work environment that is positive and respectful.

The candidate must have distinguished academic credentials sufficient for appointment to the rank of full professor. The Dean will possess proven and excellent leadership ability, articulate a broad and comprehensive vision of the college based on its strengths and values, promote values and practices that reflect commitment to diversity and inclusivity, and embrace the land-grant mission of the university that places high importance on educational access, community partnerships, and outreach. In addition, the successful candidate will value the diversity of scholarly disciplines within the college, effectively promote innovative growth in research, teaching, and Statewide Cooperative Extension programs, and enhance the infrastructure to support and expand the college's thriving external research funding base.

Application review will begin no later than March 1, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. The successful candidate could start as early as July 1, 2024, but the date is negotiable. Applicants should submit a letter describing their qualifications for the position and a statement regarding their vision of the role and responsibilities for the Dean of a College of Engineering in a modern, research university. A current curriculum vitae and contact information for a minimum of five references should be included. References will not be contacted without the prior permission of the candidate.

Nominations and inquiries should be sent to:

Vice President, Dean and Professor Ken White, Chair College of Engineering Dean Search Committee Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost 1435 Old Main Hill; Utah State University Logan, Utah, 84322-1435 Telephone: 435-797-2201 email: [email protected]

For more information about the position, please go to: https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/7326/job.

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