Dean, College of Engineering - VCU

The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Engineering. The Dean will serve as the chief academic and administrative officer of the College, which seeks to advance innovative, impactful solutions that address real-world challenges and to prepare the next generation of leaders with an interdisciplinary, experiential education. The Dean, faculty, staff, and students will collaborate, work across multiple academic disciplines, and leverage their advantageous location in the capital city of Richmond. The College of Engineering seeks an ambitious, visionary, and collaborative leader who can advance and distinguish the research, teaching, and public engagement missions of the unit and contribute to the University’s new strategic plan (Quest 2028: https://quest.vcu.edu/university-goals/ ), which emphasizes a rich academic environment driven by diversity, equity, and inclusion-centered action, student success, collaborative research and innovation, and deep, meaningful community engagement with the city of Richmond, Commonwealth of Virginia, mid-Atlantic region, and nation.

The College of Engineering
VCU’s College of Engineering was established in 1996 as a public-private partnership to address the need for engineering innovation in a 21st-century economy. VCU’s College of Engineering is a diverse and inclusive community of faculty, staff, and students who thrive on accepting new challenges to create solutions that make a positive impact in the world.

The VCU College of Engineering has been growing rapidly. Since 2008, the percentage of women students in Engineering has increased from 17% to 29%, the enrollment of Hispanic students has increased 60%, and the enrollment of African American students has increased by 58%. The College of Engineering has had record graduating classes the past 4 years. The largest growth area has been in the Computer Science department, with an increase of 19% in student enrollment over the past year. Research growth has increased dramatically, with expenditures more than quadrupaling since 2016. The College of Engineering has 6 research centers, 12 NSF CAREER Award Winners, and 20 faculty recognized as fellows in their fields.

VCU Engineering’s defining characteristic is the uncommon (https://www.vcu.edu/uncommon/) approach of focusing on public-private partnerships that facilitate cooperation between industry and academia. These research collaborations with industry, community, and academic partners led to $30 million in research expenditures in FY2022 and regularly yield breakthroughs in pharmaceutical engineering; smart cities, sustainability and clean energy; materials development; health care, regenerative medicine, rehabilitation, and medical device development; data science and better security for cyber and cyber-physical systems.

VCU Engineering’s multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial approach to engineering education immerses undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students in meaningful research investigations throughout their studies. This gives VCU Engineering students real-world experience and establishes faculty as leaders within their areas of expertise. The College of Engineering offers 6 majors, 5 minors, 6 masters programs, and 8 doctoral programs, which includes a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree in medicine and biomedical engineering. There are several available concentrations for undergraduate and graduate students to specialize their studies, as well as certificates and online programs. VCU Engineering is also the headquarters of the Medicines for All Institute, an international leader in lowering the cost of pharmaceuticals for underserved populations. The College and VCU’s School of Pharmacy together are home of the Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering and Science and offer the nation’s only Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical engineering.

The Role of the Dean of the College of Engineering
Reporting to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Fotis Sotiropoulos (https://provost.vcu.edu/about/provosts-biography/), the Dean of the College of Engineering (COE) serves as a member of the VCU’s senior leadership team, working with the President, Provost, Deans, and other senior leaders to advance the University’s mission. The Dean is responsible for enhancing the College’s profile, visibility, and effectiveness. With the input of and support from faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders, the Dean sets the strategic direction for the COE and further defines and articulates the College’s vision and priorities. With the responsibility for advancing the COE’s mission, the Dean oversees daily operations through thoughtful personnel decisions, general administration and management, prudent budgeting and resource management, academic program support, and fundraising. The Dean represents the College and leads the effort to create and strengthen partnerships within and outside of the University. The Dean also fosters high-quality academic teaching and research. In addition to creating opportunities for more robust research, the Dean will promote excellence in education, including the development of collaborative academic programs and experiential learning opportunities.

Virginia Commonwealth University
Located in the heart of Richmond, the capital of Virginia since 1779, Virginia Commonwealth University serves an integral role in the economic health of the city and the state, educating the current and future workforce, reaching out to the community, advancing research, and enhancing patient care. Today, VCU offers comprehensive undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and professional programs and encompasses one of the largest academic health centers in the nation.

Its centers and institutes of excellence support the University’s research mission and involve faculty from multiple disciplines in the arts, public policy, biotechnology, and health care discoveries. VCU enrolls more than 29,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Twenty-two of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 11 schools and five colleges. VCU has a full-time instructional faculty of more than 2,500 who are nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in the arts, business, education, engineering, the humanities, the life sciences, social work, and all the health care professions. With more than 23,000 employees and $6 billion in economic impact, VCU and VCU Health also have a significant impact on Central Virginia’s economy.

Nomination and Application Procedure
Virginia Commonwealth University invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Engineering. Interested candidates should confidentially submit a curriculum vitae and letter of interest (Adobe PDF files preferred) to VCU.Engineering@russellreynolds.com . The letter of interest should include detail on the interested candidate’s career aspirations as well as their contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Please see the full position description here: https://russellreynoldsassociates.sharefile.com/share/view/s6acb3e0836004f41b2d2eadaf2435003

For fullest consideration, materials should be received as soon as possible and preferably by January 9.

Position Type: Academic Administrator
Full time equivalent: 100
Tenure: Tenure Track
Rank: Professor
Months: 12
Department: College of Engineering

Salary: Commensurate