UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has launched a national search and is seeking candidates for the next dean of the College of Education.
David H. Monk, who has led the College of Education since 1999, announced in October 2018 that he will step down as dean on June 30 to pursue a phased retirement as a faculty member in the Department of Education Policy Studies.
Andrew Sears, dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology, is chairing the search committee to identify Monk’s successor.
Reporting directly to Nick Jones, the executive vice president and provost of the University, the dean serves as the principal academic and administrative officer of the college and will lead faculty and staff who are committed to providing extraordinary education, conducting research with impact, and fostering a community with distinction.
“During the past two decades, David’s visionary leadership has elevated Penn State’s College of Education to great success and distinction,” Jones said. “The college’s next dean will build on David’s work, possessing not only a robust history of impactful work in higher education, but also a commitment to continued excellence that takes the college to new heights and fosters transformative learning experiences for our students.”
The College of Education has a well-deserved global reputation of excellence in instruction and research, boasting several programs ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the top 10 in the nation, including Vocational/Technical Education (No. 2), Higher Education Administration (No. 4), Student Counseling and Personnel Services (No. 5), and Administration and Supervision (No. 9). The college currently hosts 11 research centers and clinics supporting a wide range of activities in support of its mission. In the most recent period, College of Education faculty members were involved in sponsored research projects totaling more than $20 million.
Through in-residence, blended, and World Campus online offerings, the college enrolls 1,865 undergraduate and 1,758 graduate students. The college faculty includes 116 tenure line and 79 fixed-term full-time faculty within the departments of Curriculum and Instruction; Education Policy Studies; Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education; and Learning and Performance Systems, which offer eight undergraduate, 27 master’s, and 18 doctoral degree programs, as well as 12 professional certification programs.
The College of Education seeks a distinguished scholar, with credentials appropriate for a tenured appointment at the rank of professor, to continue developing and building the college as a national and international leader. Prior leadership experience with responsibility for strategic planning, fundraising, managing complex budgets, personnel management, curriculum and program development, and fostering research and scholarship is desirable, along with the ability to inspire students to expand their knowledge and positively influence a multicultural, global society.
In addition, the successful candidate should be a visionary leader with a demonstrated record of transparent communication; provide experience in supporting and expanding a wide variety of research activities; demonstrate a commitment to high-quality disciplinary and interdisciplinary education, as well as diversity and inclusion; hold a record of accomplishment in research and teaching; have experience with accreditation; and display familiarity with national issues affecting undergraduate and graduate education. The dean must be an effective collaborator and an engaged and visible leader both on campus and beyond, able to advance the missions of both the college and the University.
The review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Nominations, inquiries, requests for a detailed position profile, and application material, including a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names of five professional references, should be forwarded in confidence to PSUEducationDean@storbecksearch.com.
Members of the search committee are:
- Kathy Bieschke, vice provost for Faculty Affairs and professor of education
- Rose Bomboy, grants and contracts manager, Office of Educational Research, College of Education
- Julia Bryan, associate professor of education (counselor education)
- John Cheslock, associate professor of education (higher education), and senior research associate, Center for the Study of Higher Education
- Simon Corby, director of development and alumni relations, College of Education
- Jevon Corpening, undergraduate student, world languages education, Spanish
- William Diehl, assistant professor of education and coordinator of online graduate programs, College of Education
- Leigh Ann Haefner, associate professor, science education, Penn State Altoona
- Katie Hoffman, associate professor of education (special education)
- Simon Hooper, professor of education (learning, design, and technology)
- Greg Mason, director, Advising and Certification Center, College of Education
- Leticia Oseguera, associate professor of education (higher education), and senior research associate, Center for the Study of Higher Education
- Andrew Sears, search committee chair and dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology
- Rose Zbiek, head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and professor of education (mathematics)
- Heather Zimmerman, associate professor of education (learning, design, and technology)
- Sarah T. Zipf, doctoral student, higher education; graduate assistant, Department of Education Policy Studies