The University of Florida (UF), a member of the American Association of Universities (AAU) and Florida’s public flagship university, seeks an accomplished and ambitious leader to serve as the Dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering (HWCOE or the College). This is an opportunity to lead a college enjoying a tremendous run of success and growth at the top university in the nation’s third most populous and second fastest-growing state–one that offers a unique combination of scale, breadth, affordability, and excellence.
Thanks to generous philanthropic and state support, HWCOE has two new signature buildings and is completing aggressive hiring initiatives to expand the faculty. This growth has allowed the College to become more diverse, productive, and collaborative, as the faculty produces world-class research and educates top students from around the nation and world, developing them into engineering leaders with the skills and creativity to address some of society’s most pressing problems. The Dean will build on this strong foundation to aggressively pursue excellence in HWCOE’s research, teaching, and outreach missions and promote its story and impact on a national and global level.
The University of Florida has made significant investments in faculty across the University, adding more than 600 new positions supported by the state legislature over the past several years, including 100 new faculty across campus through a signature long-term artificial intelligence initiative that will transform the curriculum and research at UF—home to the most powerful university-owned supercomputer in the nation. These efforts are part of a run of growth and success at UF that has translated into a startling rise in the U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) rankings with the institution now ranked the No. 7 public university in the nation, with excellence across the campus reflected in 28 top-25 national programs. Total University research expenditures increased to $1.26 billion in 2024.
Reporting to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean is the chief academic officer of the College and is responsible for leading its education, research, service, and outreach agenda, as well as leading philanthropic efforts and building strategic internal and external relationships to support its mission. The Dean will pursue excellence in a variety of ways: developing and moving aggressive research agendas and projects within the College and across UF, improving the College’s reputation across multiple metrics including rankings, federal funding, inventions, and patents and licenses; developing a strategic vision for the College that will carry it through the next decade; and leading a vigorous fundraising program in support of the College for the next campaign. The Dean must be an experienced administrator and collaborative leader who values inclusion and diversity in a successful academic enterprise.
The University of Florida has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in its identification and review of candidates. The search is underway and will continue until the position is filled. The search is being conducted under Florida’s Sunshine Laws. Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be sent electronically to:
