University of California, Santa Cruz Dean, Baskin School of Engineering Santa Cruz, CA

Active Searches Dean, Baskin School of Engineering Company: University of California, Santa Cruz Location: Santa Cruz, CA Date Posted: October 01, 2026 Express Interest Download Position Profile (PDF) Make a Nomination Make a Nomination x Share: The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz), one of the nation’s leading public research universities, seeks a visionary and dynamic leader to serve as the Dean of the Baskin School of Engineering. The University seeks candidates with a strong record in academic leadership, research and scholarship, and external partnerships who can lead a research and educational enterprise while serving as a highly effective external advocate for the School. The next Dean will have a distinguished background in research, scholarship, and teaching, and experience with the complexities and opportunities of top-tier research universities. A global research university, UC Santa Cruz is part of the world’s most celebrated system of public higher education and stands among the leading institutions of higher learning. A member of the prestigious 10-campus University of California System, UC Santa Cruz has earned worldwide distinction through its commitment to high-impact research and creative scholarship, innovative teaching of undergraduate and graduate students, and engaged public service that benefits our communities and the world. Since its founding in 1965, UC Santa Cruz has been on an unprecedented trajectory. From being the first in the world to assemble the DNA sequence of the human genome and make it publicly available, to marking a new era of time-domain astronomy by being the first to observe a gravity-wave generating collision of two neutron stars, UC Santa Cruz researchers and experts have been at the forefront of major achievements that create new paradigms and drive change around the world. The Jack Baskin School of Engineering is recognized for its forward-looking approach to engineering education and research. Founded in 1997 during the rise of the internet era, the school was designed to address emerging technological challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration and socially responsible innovation. Baskin Engineering offers undergraduate, Master’s, and doctoral programs in seven academic departments, including Applied Mathematics, Biomolecular Engineering, Computational Media, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Statistics, Technology and Information Management. There are also collaborative programs with other UCSC divisions, including the Humanizing Technology Certificate and the Materials Science and Engineering graduate program. The Baskin School’s close ties to Silicon Valley and emphasis on real-world impact create an environment where students and researchers develop solutions spanning climate resilience, genomics, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, agriculture, and sustainable technology. Following ten years of successful leadership and growth from Alexander Wolf, the Baskin School of Engineering is ready for the next phase of its exciting evolution. The Dean of the Baskin School of Engineering is the chief academic and administrative officer of one of UC Santa Cruz's most prominent and strategically significant academic units. Reporting to the campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, the Dean provides vision, leadership, and operational stewardship across all dimensions of the school's academic, research, and administrative enterprise. This role is for an accomplished scholar-leader with a strong record of research and teaching, demonstrated experience in academic administration, and the external presence to represent Baskin Engineering compellingly to industry partners, philanthropic supporters, government agencies, and the broader academic community. The Dean will be expected to advance the school's research profile, strengthen its graduate and undergraduate programs, recruit and retain exceptional faculty, and deepen the school's connections to Silicon Valley and the global technology industry. The successful candidate will bring experience navigating the complexities of a major public research university, a genuine commitment to inclusivity in engineering education, and the collaborative instincts required to lead a diverse faculty community while working effectively across a complex institutional environment. The successful candidate will be a nationally recognized, self-assured, entrepreneurial leader prepared to advance the University’s academic vision and its initiatives and priorities. The Dean will possess a strong record of scholarly activity and research and be willing to support the School’s faculty in developing their own research portfolios. Candidates will be expected to broaden participation among members of underrepresented groups; demonstrate, through research, teaching, and/or public engagement, a commitment to and support for diversity in the learning experience; and provide leadership in developing initiatives designed to meet the needs of diverse learners and intellectual interests. In addition, the ideal candidate will be an independent thinker dedicated to collaborative governance, possess a leadership style that values diversity and inclusion, be a sophisticated administrator capable of building strong working relationships, be committed to the search for new knowledge, and be able to imagine new possibilities for the School of Engineering. Minimum Qualifications Demonstrated academic administrative leadership (e.g., Department Chair, Institute or Center Director); National or international distinction as a scholar, researcher, and educator with a record necessary for a position as a full professor in the School of Engineering Experience fostering interdisciplinary research and education, including the development of new programs; Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with administrators, faculty, students, and staff in an environment of share