California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), a distinguished public undergraduate and master’s level institution located in San Luis Obispo, California, seeks a strategic, visionary, and collaborative leader to serve as its next endowed Dean of the College of Engineering (CENG) and Noyce School of Applied Computing (Noyce School). The CENG offers a wide range of highly-ranked programs across engineering and computer science that provide students with an outstanding applied education through its renowned “Learn by Doing” philosophy . The dean will build on the College’s success while advancing Cal Poly’s distinct mission, values, and clear vision of being the nation’s premier comprehensive polytechnic university that develops and inspires whole systems thinkers to serve California and the world. Founded in 1901 as one of 22 universities in the California State University (CSU) system, Cal Poly is located in San Luis Obispo, a coastal city halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and 15 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, in addition to the newly integrated Cal Poly Solano campus in Vallejo, California that houses Cal Poly Maritime Academy. Cal Poly has consistently been named the best public masters-level university in the West by both U.S. News and World Report and Forbes Top Colleges , and Money magazine gave Cal Poly a 5-star ranking, an honor that places Cal Poly among the top 34 universities in the nation. For over a century, Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” philosophy has prepared students to be leaders and problem solvers in an increasingly complex world. The CENG is central to this mission, allowing their students to innovate, design, and create sustainable solutions to real-world challenges. Recognized for the excellence and impact of its programs, the College offers 14 bachelor’s and 11 master’s degree programs across engineering and computer science disciplines, all of which emphasize a hands-on approach to learning and allow students to gain impactful practical and scholarly experiences that prepare them to successfully work and solve global challenges. Cal Poly has established an endowed, named deanship for the College of Engineering, supported by a $10 million endowment. This endowment represents a long-term institutional commitment to the strength, visibility, and impact of engineering at Cal Poly. It will provide sustained resources to advance strategic priorities, support faculty and staff excellence, strengthen research and innovation, and expand opportunities for students. In this role, the dean will provide external and university-wide strategic leadership for the College of Engineering and the Noyce School of Applied Computing. The Noyce School is a new endowed and interdisciplinary school in the College of Engineering combining the Electrical Engineering, Computer Science & Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering departments. Embedding the Noyce School under the Dean and the College of Engineering will enhance the integration of engineering and computing across the University, deepen interdisciplinary collaboration, and advance industry and external partnerships. This includes expanded capacity to embed AI across curriculum and research and to accelerate cross-campus, AI-enabled solutions to real-world challenges. The name of the additional endowment and gift associated with this endowed deanship will be announced later this year. The dean will be joining Cal Poly at an opportune time, as the College has a remarkable foundation to build upon, and the dean will accelerate the College’s impressive trajectory of academic excellence. As the University evolves in the coming years through significant change, including projected enrollment growth, the dean will drive an ambitious vision for the College; play an important role in attracting and retaining talented students, faculty, and staff who reflect the demographics of California; secure the facilities, support structures, and other financial and operational resources necessary to support growth and the College of Engineering and Cal Poly’s aspirations; and inspire top-notch work with faculty and industry to continue to meet workforce needs today and in the future through Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” approach. The dean will be astute in leading the College during a time of rapid change in higher education and at the University by providing a sense of stability while also encouraging innovation, continuing CENG’s strong momentum, and bringing the College to a higher level of success and recognition in a fast-evolving academic landscape.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
Education Level
No Education Listed