Dean

Studying public policy prepares you to understand the problems and design the solutions. Practicing public policy is the power to change the world.


The University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), the state's flagship land-grant university and one of the nation's preeminent public research institutions, seeks a Dean of the School of Public Policy to advance its mission to develop leaders in policy and governance, advance the frontiers of scholarship, and promote the public good at home and abroad. Reflecting UMD’s commitment to the fearless pursuit of the public good, the Dean will lead the School of Public Policy in deploying the assets of a tier-one research university to benefit people in the state, across the country, and around the world.

Formerly known as the Maryland School of Public Affairs, the School of Public Policy has evolved significantly since it opened in 1982. What began with seven faculty members and 12 students has grown to 127 faculty and staff and 585 undergraduate and graduate students spanning diverse disciplines and areas of domestic and international policy. With expanding academic offerings, a growing portfolio of research, and robust partnerships with government, nonprofit, and private organizations, the School embodies the ideals of public policy as a means of bringing people together for constructive dialogue. The School’s new 77,000-square-foot building—Thurgood Marshall Hall, which opened in the fall of 2022—was designed for the critical exploration of pressing public issues and offers state-of-the-art teaching and collaborative spaces for students, faculty, and staff. Today, the School ranks among the top 26 public affairs graduate programs in the nation while also earning high accolades for homeland security, public finance and budgeting, and public policy analysis.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Provost, the Dean will advance the educational mission of the university and School; oversee and support the community of faculty, staff, and students; and work with the School’s six centers and institutes. The Dean will have a distinguished academic record to be tenurable at the full professor level, experience as a consultative and thoughtful leader, a track record of bringing diverse groups and voices together around shared goals, and a national reputation in public policy. The Dean will be an effective and responsive leader , dynamic, strategic, entrepreneurial, and innovative in recognizing and leveraging opportunities and identifying and overcoming constraints. 

Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Nominations, inquiries, and applications, including a CV and letter of interest, should be submitted electronically below.

Vijay Saraswat and Gale Merseth are leading this search with Amy Gillespie and Elizabeth Arvanitis.

The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.