School of Arts and Sciences Dean Search
About the Search
Tufts University has launched the search for the next dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. We have engaged Isaacson, Miller, a leading executive recruitment firm specializing in higher education, to facilitate the search and recruit a diverse pool of candidates.
The search committee will work with Isaacson, Miller to identify the qualities and characteristics of a successful dean, vet a pool of candidates, conduct first-round interviews, and recommend three to four of these candidates to advance to second-round interviews with members of the school community, senior leadership, and other stakeholders. The goal is to complete the search by the end of the summer.
Isaacson, Miller has consulted widely with key stakeholders to learn about the current landscape of the school, the strategic vision for the future, and the type of leader who can best carry forward this trajectory. They have used these conversations to develop a position profile.
Submit a Nomination
The search committee has now made a call for nominations to the deanship and applications and nominations can be submitted to Isaacson, Miller. The search consultants will be responsible for contacting nominees and asking them to submit their CV if they are interested in the role.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Provost's Office has used a similar process for all executive searches conducted since 2022. This process consists of eight phases, and typically lasts five months in duration. These phases are summarized below. Please note that the timeline will be finalized after the kick-off meeting with the search committee.
- Planning: During this first stage, we start by engaging the search firm and establishing the search committee. We also develop a communications plan that includes touchpoints with key stakeholders around important milestones.
- Kick-Off: Once the search committee is established, we announce the start of the search, hold Town Halls to share more about the process, and hold a kick-off meeting with the search firm and committee.
- Needs Assessment: The search firm then initiates data collection and engages with key stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, school leadership and advisors, to understand the current state of the school and its biggest needs. This might include open forums as well as small group discusions. The search firm also solicits input on the scope of the position and the qualities and characteristics of the ideal candidate. Using this information, the search firm and committee develop the position profile.
- Candidate Sourcing: This is when recruitment begins. The position profile is posted and the search firm activates their networks and recruits a robust, talented, and diverse group of candidates. The Provost's Office will share with key stakeholders that the position is live and will encourage nominations to be submitted through the search firm.
- Candidate Vetting and First-Round Interviews: Once we have a candidate pool, the search committee screens and vets applicants to select a group for first-round interviews. Before vetting candidates and selecting interviewees, the search committee will complete Tufts’ implicit bias training to ensure an equitable and fair vetting and interview process. These interviews are conducted over a period of a few days via Zoom and we will communicate with key stakeholders once this phase is complete.
- Second-Round Interviews: After completing first-round interviews, the search committee recommends 3-4 candidates to the Provost to advance to in-person interviews on campus. These candidates will be interviewed by a wide range of stakeholders, including faculty, staff, student leaders, school leadership, and others across the university. Each interview takes place over a day and half and interviewees are asked to complete a survey to share their reflections on the candidates with the Provost.
- Candidate Selection & Notification: Based on the feedback gathered during second-round interviews, the Provost confers with the President and selects the candidate, and then initiates the final stages of the recruitment process with the search firm and Human Resources and seeks the approval of the Board of Trustees. Following the candidate’s acceptance, we develop a communication plan to announce their appointment.
Kyongbum Lee, Dean of the School of Engineering, will chair the search committee and the committee is primarily representative of Arts and Sciences faculty and staff. The members of the search committee are:
- Kyongbum Lee, Dean of the School of Engineering (Chair)
- Bernard Arulanandam, Vice Provost for Research
- Catherine Freudenreich, Professor and Chair, Biology, School of Arts and Sciences
- Christopher Helmuth, Executive Administrative Dean, School of Arts and Sciences
- David Chang, Chair, Board of Advisors, School of Arts and Sciences
- Diren Pamuk Turner, Senior Lecturer, Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences
- Eulogio Guzmán, Distinguished Senior Lecturer, Visual and Material Studies, School of the Museum of Fine Arts
- Heather Curtis, Professor, Religion and Director, Center for Humanities at Tufts, School of Arts and Sciences
- Heather Nathans, Dean of Academic Affairs, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, and Nathan and Alice Gantcher Professor of Judaic Studies, Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, School of Arts and Sciences
- Joshua Else, Senior Vice President of Advancement
- Kalahn Taylor-Clark, Trustee
- Kasso Okoudjou, Professor, Math, School of Arts and Sciences
- Laura Gee, Associate Professor, Economics, School of Arts and Sciences
- Melinda Latour, Associate Professor, Music, School of Arts and Sciences
- Natasha Warikoo, Professor, Sociology, School of Arts and Sciences
- Sam Sommers, Professor and Chair, Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences
- Sonya Satinsky, Executive Director of Health and Wellness, Student Life, Schools of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering
- Tim Atherton, Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences (Faculty Senate Representative)
Please reach out to provost@tufts.edu with any questions about the search.