Vanderbilt University College of Arts and Science, Dean

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Merchant as the next Searcy Family Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt University, effective July 1, 2026. A nationally recognized leader in higher education and an award‑winning linguistics scholar, Merchant will join Vanderbilt from the University of Chicago, where he currently serves as vice provost for academic affairs.

Merchant brings more than two decades of academic and administrative experience, including significant leadership across undergraduate and graduate education, faculty affairs, and strategic institutional initiatives. At the University of Chicago, he has overseen a broad portfolio spanning curriculum development, faculty recruitment and retention, and major academic priorities, as well as guiding elements of the university’s response to the COVID‑19 pandemic. His scholarship in linguistics—particularly at the intersection of syntax, morphology, and semantics—has earned international recognition and reflects his deep commitment to advancing discovery within the liberal arts.

As dean, Merchant will play a central role in shaping the future of the College of Arts and Science during a transformative period for Vanderbilt. He will work in partnership with campus leadership to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, champion innovative research and teaching, and articulate a vision for liberal arts education that prepares students for a rapidly evolving era.

Katie Rockman and Anita Tien led this search with Andy Marshall and Maria Connor.

Read more here.