Dean-James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences

The James

C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences (Wyant College) at the University of Arizona is a premier center for research, education, and outreach in optics. The College is home to a vibrant academic community that conducts research and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses across the four major discipline areas:
Optical Engineering, Optical Physics, Imaging Science, and Photonics. With approximately 60 primary faculty and roughly 20 joint faculty appointments across nine other University departments, the College supports the largest PhD program in the United States by enrollment and offers an online graduate program via Arizona Online. The College is housed in the Meinel Complex and now includes the Grand Challenges Research Building (GCRB), which hosts the NSF Center for Quantum Networks (CQN).

The Dean will provide executive leadership and vision for this dynamic institution.

The Dean is expected to provide executive leadership and vision for the College’s research and academic programs, maintain excellence and accreditation in existing programs, foster new programs in emerging discipline areas of high impact, and steward the College’s diverse financial and endowment resources.

• Academic Leadership
  : articulate and advance the intellectual vision and academic agenda of the College; formulate and promote a college-level strategic plan aligned with faculty vision; advance innovative curricular initiatives; recruit and retain high-quality faculty; balance faculty recruitment to ensure a synergetic portfolio.
• Research and Innovation Leadership
  : champion the college’s research mission, promote transdisciplinary research, collaborate with other colleges and the Office of Research, Innovation and Impact, and advocate for technology commercialization and startup creation with partners such as RII and Tech Launch Arizona.
• Management Leadership
  : oversee budgeting and fiscal stewardship; manage personnel policy and actions; maintain an organizational climate and budgetary processes that advance the College’s and University’s strategic goals.
• University Leadership
  : participate in decanal discussion groups; collaborate with campus units to enhance overall teaching, research, and outreach; support broader institutional initiatives as required.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  : represent and advocate for the College and the field of optical sciences at local, state, and national levels; maintain relationships with industry societies, governmental agencies, and philanthropic organizations.

• Demonstrated ability to create and sustain interdisciplinary research and education initiatives in collaboration with academic units and research centers.
• Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills for a wide audience.
• Demonstrated commitment to academic excellence at undergraduate and graduate levels.

• An earned doctorate and a distinguished record of scholarship, sponsored research, teaching and service in a field appropriate for tenured appointment in one of the College’s major discipline areas.
• Strong, proven capabilities in complex organizational management, including strategic planning, financial stewardship, budgeting, resource allocation, human resource management, risk management, and related decision-making.
• A strong personal record of research excellence and international reputation for research in a field aligned with the College’s major elements.

• Demonstrated leadership experience in a technically diverse organization or academic unit associated with optics, engineering, physics, or related fields.
• Experience in philanthropy.

Lorraine Varela
varelal