Dean- College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (Finance)
Department: Office of the Provost Salary: Commensurate with Experience
Description:
As chief academic and administrative officer of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the Dean is responsible for providing energetic, visionary and effective leadership in the following areas:
• Leadership and Strategic Planning: These responsibilities include directing and overseeing the programs of the College as well as developing the strategic directions of the College in concert with the University's Strategic Plan. The Dean articulates the long-range vision, specific strategies, and detailed administrative and fiscal provisions to ensure the continued excellence of the College faculty and its teaching and research programs. To implement strategies, the Dean works closely with the University's executive leadership and with the other Deans on multidisciplinary hiring, and on research and teaching programs. A successful candidate would need to promote the University and NSM and actively participate in hands-on management and open decision-making.
• Faculty Appointments: The Dean of NSM is responsible for the recruitment, appointment, reappointment, promotion, and tenure of faculty in the College. The Dean works through the established appointment, promotion, and tenure process of the College and is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the entire process. The Dean works with the faculty to implement long-range, recruiting plans for NSM formulated with the approval of the Provost. The Dean is responsible for meeting or exceeding the University's recruiting objectives with respect to the quality and representativeness of the faculty.
• Budgetary and Administrative Oversight: The Dean is responsible for overseeing the College's budget according to the University's financial guidelines. The Dean is expected to work closely and collaboratively with the Provost's Office in developing a budget for the graduate and undergraduate programs. In addition, the Dean is responsible for coordinating the activities of chairs of six departments, NSM faculty, associate/assistant Deans, and staff. The Dean provides necessary resources to facilitate extramurally funded research to support faculty research activities and graduate training.
In addition to budgetary oversight, other principal areas of administrative responsibility for the candidate would include: the allocation of academic facilities, planning for future academic facilities' needs, making non-faculty staffing decisions within the context of the University-wide policies and procedures, and developing collaborative teaching and research programs with other UH colleges and divisions, as well as with five, Houston-based Texas Medical Center institutions. Finally, the Dean is responsible for the establishment of effective internal cost controls within the College.
• Stewardship and Development: The Dean plays a pivotal role in representing the needs of UH to important external constituents and donors - on regional, national, and international levels. The Dean has primary responsibility for articulating the philanthropic aspirations of NSM in conjunction with the long-range plans of the University. The Dean works collaboratively with the President's leadership team and other academic leaders across campus in planning University-wide, as well as NSM-specific, fundraising priorities and goals. The Dean engages proactively with the University's development staff in executing those plans, including, but not limited to, NSM's chairs, development liaisons, and volunteer advisory boards. In addition, the Dean plays a critical role in ensuring that donations are well stewarded, address needs within the College, are in accordance with donor expectations, and communicated fully and in a timely manner in line with UH development policies and procedures.
• Multidisciplinary Partnerships: The Dean is responsible for managing the College's engagement in cross-campus, multidisciplinary partnerships that significantly increase opportunities for innovation and employment of UH graduates in a range of fields that include the Houston-based medical and energy industries. NSM's depth of expertise, along with targeted initiatives in health, energy, and computing and dedicated University-wide research centers (e.g., Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH (TcSUH) and HPE Data Science Institute), allows UH graduates to gain broad skillsets that can be applied to any industry and complement any professional interest. By blending research with education in a variety of disciplines, the College is leading this interdisciplinary effort to meet the challenges of the technologically-driven job market in the Houston area and beyond. Research is a key component of the College's continuous growth. NSM faculty and students are engaging in a number of interdisciplinary/intradisciplinary activities with other colleges including engineering, pharmacy, optometry, medicine, business, liberal arts and social sciences, education, and the honors college.
Qualifications
UH's next Dean of NSM will play an important role in the future growth of NSM as well as ensuring the College's support of UH's standing as a Tier One university and its vision as a premiere international research university. The successful candidate will possess a distinguished record of academic service, superior interpersonal and management skills, and a demonstrated commitment to UH's mission, vision, and students. In addition, leading candidates should:
• Have an outstanding record of scholarly achievement and international reputation in the broader sciences community, commensurate with appointment as full professor in one of the departments in the College;
• Possess the ability to serve as an engaging fundraiser and advocate on behalf of NSM at the local, national, and international levels; the next Dean will be tasked with further developing the College's external relationships to not only increase donations, but stimulate productive partnerships with external constituencies;
• Be a seasoned, decisive leader and diplomat with strong organizational and consensus building skills, integrity, and the ability to inspire and lead faculty with diverse interests;
• Have a commitment to providing students with a high-quality educational experience and aggressively addressing issues related to student success;
• Demonstrate a commitment to assessment and accountability measures that will help to guide and enhance strategic planning goals in accordance with UH's Strategic Plan to appropriately track the College and University's national competitiveness;
• Facilitate and execute the University's Strategic Plan to insure a reasonable and sustained growth for UH;
• Have proven people skills and be a highly effective listener and communicator with both academic and non-academic audiences;
• Have demonstrated ability to build multidisciplinary programs and to create an internationally focused and outwardly-looking educational environment for students;
• Bring innovative and entrepreneurial thought to the Dean position and serve as a catalyst for new and compelling academic and research initiatives in the College with the potential to expand on existing College strengths in the energy and health areas;
• Have an outward-facing perspective with a commitment to develop partnerships and exchange programs with other academic groups in Texas and around the world;
• Be adept at fiscal management, both in establishing budgets and implementing them; and
• Share the commitment by UH to innovation, collaboration, and resilience, to the personal and educational enrichment of its faculty, staff, and students, and to have a passion for the College's role in ensuring student graduation and post-graduate job success.
Application/Nomination Process
The Search Committee invites letters of nomination (self-nomination encouraged), applications (with a letter of interest, a complete CV, and a list of at least five references that includes contact information), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting UH. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. For full consideration,
please submit applications by March 18, 2025. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority. Nominations can be submitted to Search Committee Co-Chairs Dean Pradeep Sharma and Dr. Amy Sater or through the electronic nomination portal via the link below.
Parker Executive Search
Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875
Atlanta, GA 30328
770-804-1996 ext. 102; 109; 111
https://www.parkersearch.com/opportunities/dean-college-of-natural-sciences-and-mathematics
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The University of Houston System and its universities are an Equal Opportunity Institution.
