Dean

The University of Arizona Wyant College of Optical Sciences is one of the premier educational and research institutions in optics and photonics worldwide. The college is a major conduit for industry collaboration and represents the University of Arizona’s highest aspirations for research innovation and impact. As one of the world’s most distinguished research-intensive epicenters, the college boasts the largest endowed chair program in the history of the state of Arizona. In FY2024 alone, the College demonstrated its commitment to innovation through 71 invention disclosures, 108 patent filings, 26 patents, and 5 exclusive tech licenses.

The College manages a diverse portfolio of sponsored research initiatives across federal, philanthropic, and for-profit partnerships, with the broadest portfolio of industry research engagements on campus. It serves as a multifaceted research innovation hub with a total annual budget of nearly $53 million, including $34 million in annual research expenditures in FY2024. Its 61 faculty members, a highly touted group of internationally prominent scholars in the field, are united in their prioritization of the College’s defining purpose: an unequaled educational student experience for optical sciences. The College boasts faculty representation within the National Academy of Inventors Senior Members, the National Academy of Engineering, and recipients of the National Science Foundation Career Award and Bahn-Dole Coalition Innovator Award.

Reporting to the new Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Patricia Prelock, the Dean is responsible for elevating Wyant College’s mission by articulating a bold and dynamic strategic vision that positions the College at the forefront of the rapidly evolving research and academic landscape of optical science, engineering, and physics.

The incoming Dean will continue nurturing interdisciplinary, cross-campus collaborations to bolster research expenditures and ensure the sustained excellence of its high-impact research areas. The Dean will look to provide personnel oversight for the college through the recruitment, development, and evaluation of its world-class faculty and staff. As the external face of the college, the Dean must be a skilled fundraiser, engaging external audiences, partners, and funders while deepening relationships with the college’s exemplary alumni. The successful candidate will have executive-level fiscal management experience and assume a critical role as steward of the College’s diverse sources of support. The Dean will also be a transparent communicator, an excellent relationship builder, and a leader who energetically pursues opportunities to broaden the College’s local, national, and global reach.

Isaacson, Miller and the University of Arizona are committed to creating an inclusive environment and welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If you have any accommodation or access needs, we are happy to provide reasonable accommodations.