"Dean, School of Natural Sciences"

Position Overview

Position title: Dean, School of Natural Sciences

Salary range: $340,000-370,000

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: July 1, 2026, or sooner if available

Review timeline: First review of applicants begins September 8, 2025. Open until filled.

Position duration: Permanent

Application Window

Open date: July 23, 2025

Next review date: Monday, Sep 8, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Final date: Sunday, Dec 28, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Position Description

The University of California (UC), Merced invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the School of Natural Sciences (SNS). A campus with high ambitions and increasing impact, UC Merced has earned R1, Student Access and Opportunity, and Community Engagement designations by the Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions. It is the only public, land-grant institution currently holding all three designations. The university was recently ranked 26th nationally among public universities by US News and World Report, 1st in the nation for social mobility and 18th overall by the Wall Street Journal, and 1st in the nation among young universities by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The next SNS Dean will lead this unique school into an exciting new era as it continues to grow, champion inclusive excellence, and distinguish itself within the UC system and among research universities globally. The new SNS Dean will join a thriving learning and scholarly community at a pivotal time, with the opportunity to facilitate its ongoing development and ensure its continued rise. The SNS Dean will need to be a gifted academic leader who will work closely with SNS faculty and staff and the broader campus community to continue developing the school as a magnet for high-caliber students from diverse backgrounds, talented faculty and staff, and a respected center for research addressing major global challenges as well as pressing regional needs.

UC Merced and the School of Natural Sciences: Opened to undergraduates in 2005, UC Merced was the first new University of California campus in 40 years, and the first American research university of the twenty-first century. UC Merced now ranks #26 among public universities (#58 overall among national universities) in the top 100 U.S. News & World Report rankings and #5 among public universities (#18 overall among national universities) in the Wall Street Journal America's Best Colleges rankings. We are proud that our campus is recognized as #1 in the nation for social mobility by the Wall Street Journal. In 2025, UC Merced achieved R1 classification by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Since welcoming our inaugural first-year class, UC Merced has grown in enrollment to 9,110 students as of fall 2024.

Declared undergraduate enrollment is divided among SNS (24%), the School of Engineering (SoE) (36%), and the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) (40%). Sixty-two (62) percent of undergraduates are first-generation college students and 61% are Pell Grant eligible. Geographically, 99% of UC Merced undergraduates are from California and approximately 30% are from the San Joaquin Valley. An additional 31% of students come from Southern California (including Los Angeles and San Diego) and 34% from the San Francisco Bay Area.

UC Merced is proud to be a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), with 53% of its undergraduates identifying as Hispanic. UC Merced is also proud of its eligibility status as an Asian American, Native American, Pacific Islander serving institution and a Minority Serving institution. In 2021, UC Merced was awarded the Seal of Excelencia in recognition of its commitment to the success of Latino students and the HEED Award for Excellence in Diversity in both 2021 and 2023.

With its completion in fall 2020, the 2020 Project campus expansion nearly doubled the campus's physical capacity to support enrollment growth to 10,000 students. The impact of UC Merced's rapid ascent reaches beyond the campus and continues to transform the region economically, academically, and environmentally as we maintain a focus on sustainability, research, inclusive excellence, and community. We lead the UC system in the percentage of students from underrepresented ethnic groups, low-income families, and families whose parents did not attend college. Our graduation rates exceed national expectations. Our undergraduate research participation rate is the highest in the UC system and we are delivering on the promise of expanding access to a UC education with UC Merced accounting for 53% of the Central Valley's growth in UC attendance since 2005.

UC Merced is becoming well-known nationally for its state-of-the-art facilities and well-established research programs in fields including agricultural technology, biomedical, behavioral and health sciences, climate science, sustainable systems and solutions, theoretical, computational and data sciences, equity, social justice, and policy. Building upon this strong foundation, the Dean will lead the continued evolution of SNS.

SNS has recruited outstanding, award-winning faculty with vibrant and highly productive research programs and many take highly interdisciplinary approaches to both research and teaching. This talent has attracted substantial funding, including many early career awards from leading research agencies, such as NSF, NIH, the Department of Energy, NASA, and the USDA.

Campus Strategic Plan & Goals: UC Merced is uniquely poised to impact a rapidly changing world. To this end, Chancellor Juan Sanchez Munoz led an inaugural long-range comprehensive strategic planning process through thoughtful engagement and refinement by faculty, staff, students, and external community and partners. The strategic plan outlines three mission-driven, intertwined priorities: discovery and the advancement of knowledge, developing future scholars and leaders, and cultivating a culture of dignity and respect for all. The strategic plan reflects UC Merced's ever-deepening commitment to continuous and iterative transformation toward an equitable and sustainable campus and society, to expanding and enriching the campus's educational offerings and research portfolio, and in turn to deepening and diversifying leadership across all fields and the nation as our graduates pursue post-graduate education and employment. The plan includes continued growth in the university's research profile to accelerate the campus's national visibility. The strategic plan also elevates the importance of an inclusive workforce and flexible and sustainable infrastructure that evolves with the research and learning enterprise. The full university strategic plan can be found here.

Role of the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences: The Dean of the School of Natural Sciences is the chief officer of the School with overall administrative responsibility for an academic unit that currently includes five departments offering eight undergraduate majors and four graduate programs and the Institute for Symbiotic Interactions, Training, and Education in the Face of a Changing Climate (INSITE). The School also hosts the Department of Medical Education as part of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) PRIME+, a state funded UC Merced, UCSF, UCSF- Fresno initiative to establish a BS to MD physician preparation pathway for the San Joaquin Valley. SNS faculty also play active roles in the Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines, the Health Sciences Research Institute, and the Sierra Nevada Research Institute. SNS has 100 tenured and tenure-track Senate faculty and 31 non-Senate faculty, 1,940 undergraduate students, and 277 graduate students (277 Ph.D.). As the School's executive lead, representative, and administrator, the Dean provides intellectual and academic leadership for the instructional and research missions of SNS and in doing so works closely with the School's faculty and staff as well as senior leadership across the campus to deliver the School's mission. The Dean supervises the hiring, promotion, and retention of faculty and staff, guides the development and provides oversight of undergraduate and graduate curriculum and degree programs, oversees and promotes the continuous improvement of the School's academic and administrative operations, manages all School resources, and works with campus administration and the Academic Senate on matters of School and campus-wide policy. As part of the Provost's leadership team, the Dean is an active participant in planning the campus' ongoing development. Successful candidates will have demonstrated leadership skills in a full range of activities associated with the academic and research missions of the School.

Key Opportunities and Challenges for the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences: UC Merced has made remarkable progress and merits outstanding leadership to move into its next phase marked by excellence in research, innovation in teaching, and thoughtful growth, guided by excellent leadership and shared governance. As an emerging research university, UC Merced has exceptional freedom to pioneer new models for teaching, research, and service. In leading SNS into its next stage of growth, the Dean will address several key opportunities and challenges, which are detailed below.

Lead the vision and strategy for the School; Recruit, retain, and support talented faculty; Enhance the academic profile and scholarly impact of the School; Strengthen enrollment and educational impact; Manage the academic enterprise with financial acumen and organizational expertise; Advocate for SNS as a unit, both internally and externally.

Preferred and Required Qualifications

Basic qualifications: A doctorate and a research program in a field compatible with the programs offered within the School of Natural Sciences. A distinguished record in teaching, scholarship, and service consistent with the expectations of the rank of a full professor with tenure in the School of Natural Sciences. Significant years of increasing responsibility for leading and managing (an) academic area(s) that demonstrate visionary leadership and management and administrative skills. Demonstrated leadership skills in a full range of activities associated with the academic, research, and/or scholarly mission of the School. Demonstrated ability to create and advance an inclusive environment within a unit. Experience fostering interdisciplinary research and education; and understanding of research approaches, including laboratory, field, theoretical, and computational based research. Demonstrated skills as a creative and collaborative leader in the creation and evaluation of new programs and structures. Proven leadership abilities in a complex environment with diverse stakeholders; demonstrated ability to gain support for and advance projects and initiatives through relationship building, motivation, influence, and transparency; strong community and consensus builder to leverage partnerships and resources. Expert analytical and strategic thinking skills to understand key institutional drivers. Strong management skills, including the ability to lead, assess, and support the professional development of faculty and staff and to motivate department chairs and managers to develop and achieve mission-aligned goals. Skilled in organizational management, change management, and development; strong and visionary organizational leadership to foster and sustain cohesion, culture, and effectiveness of the School and the stakeholder community. Strong financial acumen and sound budgetary judgment; expertise in resource allocation and management. Experience reviewing faculty appointment, tenure, and promotion cases. Experience developing relationships with external stakeholders and partners; demonstrated ability and willingness to engage in fundraising efforts and secure external support from a variety of sources. Ability to focus on regional and global issues; ability to gain/build knowledge of and focus on the needs of the UC Merced campus and San Joaquin Valley region. Demonstrated capacity to be an active listener who can communicate and collaborate effectively with administrators, faculty, students, and staff. Understanding of academic checks and balances within an environment of shared governance, as well as how to engage in consultation with faculty and staff. Strong diplomatic skills and political acumen. High emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills. Appreciation for the mission and responsibilities of a university serving a multi-ethnic state and a demonstrated personal and professional commitment to inclusive excellence.

Preferred qualifications: Thorough knowledge of general university administrative organization, policies, procedures, and practices including the principle of shared governance. Experience engaging academic program review and continuous improvement processes. Familiarity with WSCUC or other university-wide accreditation procedures.

Application Details

Application Requirements: Document requirements: Curriculum Vitae, Cover Letter, Authorization to Release Information Form. Reference requirements: 3-5 required (contact information only). Apply link: https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/JPF02013. Help contact: ExecutiveSearch@berkeley.edu.