Dean of the College of Marine Science

SEARCH FOR DEAN

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

The University of South Florida (USF) seeks an accomplished oceanographer/marine scientist and administrator as the next Dean of the College of Marine Science (CMS). The College is a global leader in innovative and cross-disciplinary oceanographic research and resource management and helps to inform effective solutions for Florida, the nation, and the planet. The College of Marine Science seeks to increase and apply fundamental knowledge of global ocean systems and human-ocean interactions through research, graduate education, and community engagement. Its faculty and students create and disseminate knowledge about ocean physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and fisheries through observation, modeling, and theory. CMS aims to train a well-educated work force and to create a more scientifically-informed society.

The deanship of the College is a wonderful opportunity to lead one of the top 10 marine science programs in the country, according to Academic Analytics in 2019.  In addition to leading a superior center of marine science research and graduate education, the Dean will also lead a highly productive faculty who have brought in roughly $15 million in research funding in FY 2019. The College’s 11-acre waterfront campus is the heart of one of the largest marine science hubs in the country and the home to a number of important federal, state, and private research facilities. The College draws its strength and dynamism from its beautiful and advantageous location in St. Petersburg, Florida; a collegial and supportive community of faculty and students committed to rigorous and innovative science; and from being part of one the country’s fastest growing and ambitious public research universities.

The next Dean must serve as a compelling advocate for the College within USF and to external stakeholders at the local, national, and global level. To ensure it achieves its ambitions, the Dean will need to be an energetic fundraiser and revenue generator as well as help in bolstering and, where appropriate, broadening the College’s research focus and growing the world class faculty. The Dean will collaborate and work effectively with colleagues across USF on academic programs and be a leader in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

USF is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success with three campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee that serves more than 50,000 students. USF ranks in the top 25 nationally for research expenditures among public universities, according to the National Science Foundation. In 2018, the Florida Board of Governors designated USF as a Preeminent State Research University, placing USF in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. 

The University of South Florida has retained Isaacson, Miller to assist in this search. Sean Farrell is leading this search with Kahn Lee. Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed in confidence to: www.imsearch.com/7319.

The State of Florida has a Public Meetings Law and a Public Records Law. All meetings of the Search Committee are publicly announced and conducted. All documents submitted to the Committee are treated as open materials with the exception of evaluative documents specific to the performance of the faculty of the State University System of Florida. Please feel free to reach out to Isaacson, Miller with any questions before submitting a formal application.

As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, the University of South Florida considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy or marital status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other category protected by or identified by the University as a protected class.