Dean William States Lee College of Engineering

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or Charlotte) invites nominations and applications for the position of dean of the William States Lee College of Engineering. This role reports to the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNC Charlotte, North Carolina’s urban research university.

North Carolina is known for its commitment to public higher education; the University of North Carolina at Charlotte exemplifies the state constitution’s mission of access. What began in 1946 as a night school to serve returning veterans has grown into one of the top 100 public universities in the nation. As North Carolina’s urban research university, UNC Charlotte is integral to the social, cultural, and economic fabric of the Charlotte metropolitan area of three million people.

UNC Charlotte delivers high-quality, affordable education and drives progress and innovation through top-tier research and creative discovery. There are more than 3,200 faculty and staff members and an enrollment of 33,045 students. All thrive on a 1,000-acre campus, 10 miles from the city center, and at the Dubois Center in uptown Charlotte. UNC Charlotte boasts more than 193,000 alumni and graduates, with more than 9,000 new alumni each year.

The William States Lee College of Engineering at UNC Charlotte is a dynamic, growing engineering college with a strong reputation for industry-connected education, applied research, innovation, and student success. Serving more than 4,400 undergraduate and 450 graduate students across a broad portfolio of engineering disciplines, the college prepares graduates to address complex challenges in fields ranging from energy and infrastructure to advanced manufacturing, computer engineering, construction, and emerging technologies.

The College of Engineering is in an exciting period of growth and opportunity, with new academic enterprises that position the college to respond to some of the most pressing infrastructure and workforce needs facing the region and nation. The launch of the Albert School of Construction represents a significant expansion of the college’s capabilities, and the newly established School of Energy builds on UNC Charlotte’s growing national leadership in grid technology, energy research, and workforce development.

Reporting to the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, the dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the William States Lee College of Engineering, responsible for providing strategic vision and operational leadership for all aspects of the college’s portfolio of academic programs, research, and industry engagement. The ideal candidate will hold a doctorate or terminal degree in an appropriate academic discipline and will have a distinguished academic record with qualifications and experience that warrant tenure and appointment at the rank of professor in a William States Lee College of Engineering department or school.

The individual will bring significant administrative experience, experience leading innovation, a track record of collaboration across disciplines, outstanding communication skills, authenticity, self-confidence balanced with humility, integrity of the highest order, a positive solutions-based approach to problem-solving, and a clear understanding of the challenges facing colleges of engineering.

The search committee will begin accepting and reviewing applications immediately and until December 4th, 2026. Requested application materials include a letter of interest addressing the leadership agenda and a curriculum vitae/resumé. Although applications will be accepted until a dean is selected, for best consideration, all candidates…