Director of the School of Life Sciences

Arizona State University

Search for the Director of the School of Life Sciences

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Tempe, AZ

Arizona State University seeks an innovative and strategic leader and scholar to serve as its next Director of the School of Life Sciences.

The School of Life Sciences (SoLS) is among the university's largest and most distinguished units and is a leader in innovative research and educational initiatives in bioinformatics, biology, biomedicine, ecology, evolutionary physiology, genomics, and molecular biology, as well as interdisciplinary social-ecological, bio-economic, and bioethical research. SoLS inspires and transforms life science students by providing an innovative learning experience that prepares them to thrive in a dynamic and demanding world. It aims to improve life by stimulating scientific discovery and solving critical problems at the intersection of the life sciences and society, and aspires to become a global leader in life science education and discovery.

A vibrant community of scholars, teachers, and professionals, SoLS is home to 113 tenure-track and non-tenure eligible faculty members that serve more than 3,300 undergraduate majors and 360 PhD and MS students in 15 graduate programs on campus. SoLS plays a critical role in ASU's educational mission, exposing students to disciplinary breadth and depth across the life sciences and offering interdisciplinary opportunities with social, biomedical, and physical sciences. The School has evolved over the years in response to the needs of students, pioneering new degrees and online programs, and engaging in cross-cutting, change-making research activities. Research expenditures in SoLS in fiscal year 2018 topped $20 million.

Arizona State University is a leading public university ranked #1 Most Innovative School by U.S. News and World Report four years in a row and is leading a bold reinvention of higher education as the New American University. One of the largest universities in the United States, enrolling over 112,000 undergraduate and graduate students in Fall 2018, ASU has strong and simultaneous commitments to educational access, community embeddedness, cutting-edge research, and teaching excellence. The university's charter reads: ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

ASU has developed numerous new programs and units – including the School of Life Sciences, the Biodesign Institute, and the Global Institute of Sustainability – that bridge and transcend disciplinary boundaries to enable the exploration and discovery of new knowledge while developing solutions to the most challenging issues of our time. The School of Life Sciences has the unique position within the university of contributing in a fundamental way to the mission of both major institutes.

The incoming Director of SoLS will have the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy on this core unit of the university and will lead faculty and students in the development of inventive curricula, pioneering research, and globally renowned programs. In particular, the Director will be expected to provide strategic leadership and craft a unifying vision for the School; attend to the undergraduate and graduate educational and research missions; develop and enhance university collaborations; enable and cultivate world-class research; creatively leverage and manage resources to fuel the School's aspirations; and recruit, retain, and support excellent faculty.

Candidates should have a PhD in biology or a closely related field; a distinguished scholarly record commensurate with the rank of tenured professor; relevant and progressive administrative experience in a complex academic environment that has moved an organization forward; appreciation for a breadth of research areas within biology and interdisciplinary science, including a demonstrated commitment to working across disciplines, academic units, divisions, and schools; outstanding skills in consensus building; experience serving a diverse student and/or faculty community; and a deep commitment to supporting strong academic programs necessary for student success.

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For best consideration, please apply by January 1, 2019. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: www.imsearch.com/6487. Electronic submission of materials is required.

Cati Mitchell-Crossley and Alanya Green

Isaacson, Miller

1000 Sansome Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone: 415.655.4900

Apply Here: http://www.imsearch.com/6487

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