Dean of the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies & Associate Provost for Graduate Education

Southern Methodist University

Search for the Dean of the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies and Associate Provost for Graduate Education

Dallas, Texas

Southern Methodist University (SMU), a premier private university in North Texas, seeks a visionary and strategic leader to serve as the Dean of the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies and Associate Provost for Graduate Education. Reporting to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean/Associate Provost will join SMU at a time of unprecedented growth and momentum and will collaborate with deans, faculty across a wide range of disciplines, and other academic leaders to build on SMU’s excellent graduate programs and will develop and take strategic actions that propel SMU forward on the path to join the highest rank of research universities and serve the talent and research needs of a challenging world.

A nonsectarian university with a focus on global impact, SMU serves over 12,000 students, including 5,500 graduate students, in eight degree-granting schools and engages 25 PhD programs in science and engineering, social science, humanities, and education. Since its founding more than 100 years ago, SMU has been steadily gaining a reputation as a top academic institution, currently ranked 68th in National Universities by U.S. News and World Report. Since 2005, SMU has advanced past 55 institutions in the Carnegie Classification of Research Universities and is currently a doctoral university with high research activity (R2), with research expenditures for FY 2020 amounting to $43.04 million. For FY 2022, SMU’s operating budget is $819 million, and the current endowment is valued at $2.1 billion. Thanks to a landmark $100 million commitment from the Moody Foundation, the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies was established in 2020. This, along with an ambitious strategic plan and the recent launch of the comprehensive campaign SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow with a target of $1.5 billion, well positions SMU to achieve Carnegie R1 status in the coming years.

Located near the heart of the dynamic Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, a global center of commerce and culture with one of the highest concentrations of corporate headquarters in the United States, SMU is rich with opportunities for industry partnerships. As the Texas economy booms, companies and institutions look to future-focused universities like SMU for innovative ideas, data-driven research and technology that can accelerate knowledge and tackle grand challenges. It is a pivotal time for the new Dean/Associate Provost to be joining SMU and leverage the many great assets of the University and the region to help attract and retain outstanding master’s and PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as deepening and forging new partnerships with the Dallas region.

The ideal candidate for the position of Dean of the Moody School and Associate Provost for Graduate Education will have demonstrated leadership in graduate education, program development, and building and maintaining successful collaborations. They will be a dynamic leader who can eloquently and effectively tell stories of success in graduate studies, motivate and inspire support for graduate education, and will be prepared to address a key set of opportunities and challenges, which are detailed further in the profile:

  • Execute SMU’s forward-looking vision to elevate graduate education through the Moody School
  • Further develop an integrated support structure for graduate students
  • Increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of graduate applications and admissions and ensure the success a diverse student body
  • Augment resources that will strengthen and expand graduate education
  • Increase the visibility, national recognition, and impact of SMU graduate programs

Southern Methodist University has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For more details, including the full position profile and to submit inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications, please see the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: www.imsearch.com/8142. Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

Julie Fillizetti and Phuong Ta

Isaacson, Miller

1000 Sansome Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA  94111

Phone: 415.655.4900

SMU will not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, education activity, or admissions on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. SMU’s commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX1 Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies, including the prohibition of sex discrimination under Title IX. The Executive Director/Title IX Coordinator may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.