Katherine and John Simpson Dean

The University of Washington (UW), one of the world’s leading public research universities, seeks a bold, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as the next Katherine and John Simpson Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (the College).

Consistently ranked among the top public universities in the world, the University of Washington brings together excellence across the arts and humanities, social and natural sciences, engineering, and a broad range of professional fields. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, UW combines the scale and depth of a major research institution with a strong commitment to public service, access, and impact. With both global reach and deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, UW plays a significant role in advancing research, education, and opportunity locally, nationally, and beyond.

As the University’s largest college, the College of Arts and Sciences is central to UW’s research and teaching mission and touches nearly every corner of the University. The College serves more than 17,000 students and is home to more than half of all bachelor’s degrees earned on the Seattle campus, while also advancing groundbreaking research and serving as an important resource for the region and beyond. The College is a hub for multidisciplinary work, with structures that encourage collaboration rather than constrain it. Given the College’s expansive portfolio, the new Dean will have a unique platform to further strengthen the College’s position as a national leader in liberal arts and sciences education.

The College’s faculty are recognized nationally and globally for their achievements across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, including Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur Fellows, members of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, and recipients of other major national scholarly awards. Their work spans an extraordinary breadth of disciplines and is united by a shared commitment to research-informed teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration, and public impact. Faculty weave this approach and mindset into the classroom, helping students grow from being learners to emerging experts, all while also continuing to advance scholarship that addresses some of today’s most pressing questions and challenges. There is significant internal expertise in pedagogy, research, and community-engaged scholarship, which provides rich opportunities for the next Dean to further amplify.

With support from the new Katherine and John Simpson endowed deanship, the next Dean will have a distinctive opportunity to strengthen the College’s essential role at UW and beyond; support its faculty, staff, and students who make learning and impact central to their work; and help shape what it means to lead a college of this breadth at a major public research institution in the years ahead. To advance the ambitious goals of the College and UW, the incoming Dean must address the following opportunities and challenges:

• Collaboratively craft and implement a clear, current, and unifying vision for the College;
• Ensure transparent and inclusive communication and decision-making;
• Strategically grow and steward resources in support of the College’s aspirations;
• Build on the College’s longstanding commitment to student success, teaching, and learning;
• Invest strategically to empower a world-class faculty and staff; and
• Continue to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration within the College, across the University, and throughout the state of Washington.

COMPENSATION

The base salary for this position will be approximately $312,000 to $336,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications, exclusive of any additional allowances and resources associated with the endowed deanship.

APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS

Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the link below. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For best consideration, please apply by March 9, 2026. 

Cati Mitchell-Crossley and Courtney Wilk-Mandel are leading this search with Leslie Lemus and Thea Kosmack.

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact UWCASDean@imsearch.com

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.