Search begins for next College of Engineering dean

A search-and-screen committee has been appointed to help identify and select candidates for the next Grainger Dean of the College of Engineering. Paul Wilson, professor of nuclear engineering and engineering physics in the College of Engineering, is chairing the search committee.

Ian Robertson has served as dean since 2013 and announced in April that he will return to the faculty when a successor is chosen. Robertson, who studies how extreme conditions alter the microstructure of materials, led the school through a period of growth including hiring more than 130 new faculty and major upgrades to its existing facilities for both research and education — among them a planned new engineering building. The full list of Robertson’s accomplishments is long. Read about them on the College of Engineering’s website.

The dean, who reports to the chancellor through the provost, serves as the chief academic and executive officer for the College of Engineering, with responsibility for personnel, budget, fundraising, community relations, curriculum, academic affairs and physical facilities.

The college currently enrolls 4,800 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students across eight academic departments. The college currently has 220 tenured or tenure-track faculty, 34% of whom are assistant professors; 650 staff; and a budget of $245 million, including research expenditures of $140 million.

A full description of the position can be found on UW–Madison’s jobs board.

Opportunities for public input

Members of the UW–Madison community can give input to the search committee through an online survey or at forthcoming public listening sessions.

Listening sessions

Listening sessions will be held via Zoom:

• Monday, July 29, 3 – 4 p.m., Zoom link here
• Tuesday, July 30, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Zoom link here

Position description and candidate nominations

• A full description of the position and instructions for nominating candidatesare available online. To ensure consideration, applications must be received by Nov. 11.

Search committee members

In addition to Wilson, the committee members are:

• Catherine Carter, academic department manager, mechanical engineering, College of Engineering
• Abby Clark, student representative, mechanical engineering, College of Engineering
• Mary Fitzpatrick, director of Diversity Research and Program Evaluation, College of Engineering
• Daniel Gaona, accountant, electrical and computer engineering, College of Engineering
• Glenda Gillaspy, dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
• Andrea Hicks, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, College of Engineering
• Manos Mavrikakis, professor of chemical and biological engineering, College of Engineering
• Sangkee Min, associate professor of mechanical engineering, College of Engineering
• Bill Monfre, Chair, College of Engineering Industrial Advisory Board; President (retired), Quality Insulators, Inc.
• Robert Nowak, professor of electrical & computer engineering, College of Engineering
• Krishanu Saha, professor of biomedical engineering, College of Engineering
• Anita Thompson, professor of biological systems engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
• Eric Wilcots, dean of the College of Letters & Science
• Ellen Zweibel, professor of astronomy & physics, College of Letters & Science