"Dean, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry"

Job Details

Dean, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
University of the Pacific

The University of the Pacific invites applications and nominations for the next Dean of the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry.

The Opportunity
The University of the Pacific seeks an outstanding academic leader to serve as its next Dean of the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and serving as the chief administrative and academic officer of the Dugoni School, the Dean will build upon an established and very successful educational program, leading its next exciting phase of growth and development while maintaining its commitment to humanistic values and community collaboration.

The Dean will set a bold and cohesive vision that maintains the Dugoni School’s place at the forefront of dentistry. The Dean will also provide operational leadership to all aspects of the academic and scholarly programs. The Dean will collaboratively set priorities while guiding the School toward strategic goals of enhancing and promoting excellence in undergraduate, graduate, and professional education with a diverse population of students, faculty, staff, and stakeholders. The Dean will develop a clear, innovative vision that keeps the School on the cutting edge of dental education and service in the midst of significant technological changes in the health and dental care system. The Dean will continue to assess the impact of the School’s curriculum as well as its defining features, including the School’s humanistic approach to education, three-year DDS program, and focus on students and community-based education. The next Dean will also take a meaningful look at the cost of dental education and find ways to enable a talented pool of students to pursue careers in dentistry. At the same time, the Dean will support research and innovation excellence, including interprofessional and community-engaged scholarship.

The Dugoni School is a proud and supportive family. The next Dean must continue to inspire this community by fostering genuine connections, encouraging collaboration, and bringing curiosity and optimism to the culture. Through visibility, engagement, and open communication, the Dean will earn boundless support and lead a community ready to rally behind shared goals. The Dean is the Dugoni School’s chief advocate and steward, honoring the School’s legacy, promoting its goals and achievements, leading its development and fundraising activities, and speaking for its mission of excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service.

Supporting the University of the Pacific’s research mission, the Dean will advance the scholarly activities of the faculty, including interdisciplinary opportunities and external collaborations. The Dean will inspire students and promote an ethos of respect, high standards, mutual support, professionalism, service, and care. The Dean will also be the Dugoni School’s public voice, promoting innovative ideas and building and solidifying partnerships within Pacific, locally, and nationally as a recognized leader in the field.

Alongside the leadership of President Callahan and Provost Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert, the Dean will have a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on substantial investments in facilities and equipment, as well as partner with other Pacific leaders to further develop and enhance interprofessional education, collaborative care, and creation of new partnerships. The successful candidate will be a collegial, nationally recognized, and entrepreneurial leader prepared to advance the mission of the Dugoni School and to support and sustain a large number of existing areas of innovation including new programs currently in development. Information about Dugoni School can be found online at www.pacific.edu/dental.

How to Inquire, Nominate, or Apply
The University of the Pacific has retained the services of Dr. Josh Ward at the executive search firm Korn Ferry. Applicants should submit, in two separate PDFs, an up-to-date and detailed curriculum vitae, as well as a letter of interest (2-4 pages) describing why you are interested in becoming the next Dean of the Dugoni School of Dentistry at Pacific, why you would be successful based on your professional and/or lived experience, and why now is a good time for you to consider this opportunity. For priority consideration, please submit all inquiries, nominations, and application materials by January 9, 2026 via e-mail directly to:

Josh Ward, PhD
Senior Client Partner
Higher Education | Academic Medicine | Law
Korn Ferry
(405) 640-3994
Josh.Ward@KornFerry.com

*University of the Pacific is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity. In compliance with applicable law and its own policy, Pacific is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff and does not discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression or mental or physical disability. The university will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with a disability. The budgeted annual salary that the University of the Pacific reasonably expects to pay for the Dean of the Dugoni School of Dentistry is $450,000. This considers a wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.*