Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

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Job Category:

Limited

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Dean

Job Summary:

The University of Wisconsin–Madison, one of the world’s outstanding public research and teaching universities, invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneering international leader in discovery, innovation and education across the biological, physical and social sciences and the humanities. CALS’s scholarship ranges from transformative advances in agriculture and natural resource stewardship to fundamental investigations into the principles that govern life, climate adaptation, and human and community health. Through its integrated missions of research, teaching, extension and outreach, CALS advances knowledge and collaborates with stakeholders to translate discovery into lasting benefits for Wisconsin and the world. 

CALS offers a broad range of academic programs. Its nationally ranked departments in molecular biosciences work in tandem with leaders in environmental sciences, production agriculture, soil and plant sciences, food and nutritional sciences, and communication, sociology and economics. This distinctive combination creates an intellectually vibrant and truly interdisciplinary community in which fundamental discoveries inform practical solutions while real-world challenges inspire research. The college’s growing undergraduate enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and strong graduate programs reflect the vitality and appeal of the educational environment.

The Dean of CALS is the chief academic and executive officer of the college, providing leadership to more than 250 faculty and more than 800 staff across 14 departments.  Within UW-Madison’s strong ecosystem of faculty governance, the Dean reports to the chancellor and the provost, and carries responsibility for strategic direction; academic programs; the research enterprise; fiscal stewardship and development; inclusivity; personnel; and relationships with community, industry and government partners. The CALS budget is approximately $250 million, and the research enterprise is supported by a diverse portfolio of federal, state, private, and philanthropic resources, at a time when changes in the federal funding landscape present both significant challenges and opportunities for strategic leadership. 

As the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, the Dean oversees the institution’s federal agricultural research designation, associated federal research capacity funds and a statewide network of 12 agricultural research stations. In coordination with the UW–Madison Division of Extension, the Dean helps fulfill the college’s and university’s land-grant mission by connecting university research and expertise with communities throughout Wisconsin. The college also has a large facility footprint, including occupants across 28 campus buildings and over 8,000 acres of land and associated agricultural research facilities in Madison and throughout the state.

Please visit the following websites for information about the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the University of Wisconsin-Madison:
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/http://www.wisc.edu/

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Provide oversight and leadership of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station

• Promote an inclusive campus climate

• Provide leadership for the College’s advancement and alumni activities

• Oversee the College’s budget and long-term planning

• Serve as chief academic officer of the College

• Serve as an active member of the Deans Council and foster cross-campus collaborations with other deans and campus leaders

• Provide personnel oversight for the College, including the recruitment of a diverse faculty and staff, and support for professional growth and development

• Provide leadership in and oversight of the College’s instructional, research, extension and outreach missions

Department:

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Compensation:

Negotiable

Degree and area of specialization:

• Earned doctorate in a discipline relevant to the position
• A record of scholarly achievement and academic accomplishments appropriate to the individual’s academic discipline, and capable of receiving tenure and being appointed as a full professor at UW-Madison in a CALS department

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least 5 years in leadership roles, with progressive levels of responsibility
• A record of successful, visionary leadership that shows understanding and appreciation of the dynamic, changing academic environment and the diverse missions and constituencies of a major public research university
• Demonstrated commitment to advance learning, research, and public service and the land-grant mission
• Commitment to extension programs, outreach and public engagement activities that extend and apply our research, education and practice-based knowledge to help solve problems and foster lifelong learning
• Commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for students, postdocs, faculty and staff. Capacity to relate effectively to faculty, staff, postdocs, students and external constituencies
• Successful leadership experience in managing a complex academic unit
• Communication and advancement experience
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in an environment that prioritizes shared governance and collaborative decision-making
• Collaborative leadership with a problem-solving approach that is responsive to the instructional and research needs of other schools/colleges/divisions at UW-Madison
• Ability to represent the college and university effectively in educational, governmental, business, agricultural, natural resources, alumni, non-profit and public forums in rural and urban areas
• Familiarity with national agricultural experiment stations and the cooperative extension system
  

How to Apply:

Applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this position description.
The Isaacson, Miller search firm is assisting the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this search. To ensure consideration, candidate materials should be received by February 15, 2027.

Application materials should be submitted using the Isaacson, Miller candidate portal. 

Important information regarding confidentiality: Unless confidentiality is requested in writing, UW-Madison is required by Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7) to release the names of all applicants to anyone who requests that information. If you would like to request confidentiality, please indicate that in an email to [email protected]. Candidates who advance to the finalist round are announced publicly prior to their campus visits.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.