Dean - College of Engineering

Florida A&M University (FAMU), in partnership with Florida State University (FSU), invites applications for the position of Dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Located in Tallahassee’s Innovation Park, three miles from the main campuses of each university, the joint college is seeking a creative builder with a demonstrated record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion; leadership; research excellence; interpersonal and management skills; and a successful track record of setting and achieving ambitious goals. The position supports the universities’ academic missions and programs by providing innovative academic engineering programs of the highest standards and building, maintaining, and enhancing a national reputation as a premier engineering college.

 

This unique college of engineering is a partnership between two strong and complementary universities with overlapping but distinct missions. FAMU, a public Historically Black College and University (HBCU), is a Carnegie Classified R2 institution and a top producer of STEM degrees for African American students in the nation, including the No. 4 producer of African American PhDs (due in large part to the joint college’s contribution of engineering doctorates). FSU is a top-20 national public university and Carnegie Classified R1 institution. Students enroll and graduate from either of the partner universities, and after completing prerequisite courses, their engineering education is delivered by joint faculty in shared courses with uniform standards. The diversity of the college is unrivaled, and its momentum is obvious; it has moved up 27 spots to No. 98 in US News & World Report (USNWR) graduate school rankings and jumped from No. 137 to No. 69 in undergraduate rankings in just the past five years. This period has been characterized by significant growth in research and graduate students; improved student retention and graduation rates; the development of new programs in Biomedical Engineering, Systems Engineering, and Materials Science; and a strengthening of the identity of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering as one united college supported by two great institutions.

 

This position reports to the Provosts of both FAMU and FSU and supports the educational and research endeavors of both institutions. Because of the unique structure of the college, the Dean has significant visibility within the university, system, and state leadership and presents the college’s legislative budget request to the Board of Governors.

 

The college seeks a Dean who is a collaborator and strong communicator with a creative vision and ability to bring diverse groups together and further unify this unique joint college. They must be a committed and proven advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The ideal candidate will be politically savvy and possess the energy and creativity to build and operate in a complicated, multi-faceted managerial setting. The Dean will also be an astute fundraiser who will work with alumni, industry, and political leaders to tell the college’s compelling story as it continues to raise its profile on the national and international stage.

 

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this recruitment. All inquiries, applications, and nominations should be directed to Isaacson, Miller:

Greg Esposito, Partner

Melissa DePretto Behan, Senior Associate

https://www.imsearch.com/search-detail/S8-268

 

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer, including minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities. The successful candidate will be subject to a comprehensive background check and verification of employment. Please call (850) 599-3076 if accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position. This search is being conducted under Florida law, including the Sunshine law and public records law.