Dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence

The University of Wisconsin-Madison invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (CAI). Established in 1848 and considered one of the world's outstanding public research universities, UW-Madison is a major land-grant university committed to excellence in teaching, research and public service with a student body of nearly 52,000, faculty/staff of approximately 27,000, revenues of $4.9 billion, and a campus environment that encourages cross disciplinary, collaborative research. The University has a long-standing commitment to shared governance. It is ranked among the top universities in the world and has the #5 national research expenditures ranking among U.S. universities.

The founding Dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence will report to the Chancellor through the Provost, and will serve as the chief academic and administrative officer of the College. The dean will work closely with campus leaders, including 16 fellow deans, and is responsible for the strategic and visionary leadership of the College.

The College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence is being established as a separate and standalone college within the University beginning July 1, 2026. This transition represents the next stage of evolution and innovation for the academic departments - Computer Sciences, the Information School, and Statistics - formerly organized under the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences within the College of Letters & Science. In recent years, enrollment in these programs has significantly increased, housing some of the largest and fastest-growing disciplines on campus.

The CAI will be the first new academic division established at UW-Madison since 1983, and will be built upon decades of investment in scholarship, research, and teaching and the university's strengths in computer, data, library and information sciences, and statistics.

There will be approximately 100 tenure-track/tenured faculty and 150 academic and university staff in the College. Over 50 faculty in other departments have affiliation status with one of the three departments that will comprise CAI.

The CAI will reside in the new Morgridge Hall, a 343,000 square foot building in the heart of the tech corridor on campus in Madison. This state-of-the-art facility unites students, faculty, and researchers under one roof, fostering an environment where the intersection of technology and humanity drives solutions to society's most pressing challenges.

Recognizing the interdisciplinarity of much of its work, the CAI will serve as a scholarly hub for the rest of campus. It will grow research and academic collaboration with other academic units and will carry forward core values including intellectual curiosity, interdisciplinarity, and access for undergraduate and graduate students across the university.

The inaugural dean will collaborate with colleagues across the CAI and the broader university to further shape the emerging vision and mission of the college. This leader will build a leadership team and college environment that will continue to innovate and advance computing, data and information sciences, and AI. Under the dean's leadership, the college will foster an environment that connects technology with humanity, links science with society, bridges information with people, and finds new ways to serve Wisconsin and beyond through collaborations designed to address emerging and future challenges.

• Assure compliance with university, state, and national policies, as well as accreditation requirements and standards

• Lead and oversee the college's educational, research, and service missions, strategically delegating roles, portfolios, and duties as appropriate, and encouraging innovation

• Advance excellence and growth in the college's educational programs

• Serve as chief academic and executive officer of the college

• Oversee the college's recruitment and retention of a diverse, talented, and productive faculty and staff, as well as support for professional growth and development

• Promote entrepreneurship, industry engagement, and collaboration; Represent the college in local, state, national, and international forums including academic consortia, policy discussions, and professional organizations to elevate the school's visibility and influence

• Nurture collaboration and engagement within the college's community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and throughout the university campus

• Develop a growing base of philanthropic support to advance the school's mission and impact

• Oversee the college's mulit-unit budgets, fiscal planning, and long-term strategic planning, ensuring responsible fiscal stewardship and resource allocation to support operations and strategic priorities

• Collaborate effectively with other deans and university leaders to support interdisciplinary initiatives, institutional strategic priorities, shared governance, and the Wisconsin Idea

• Recruit, supervise, and mentor senior administrative leaders, department chairs, and center/institute directors

• Promote a culture and climate of excellence, equity, inclusion, and ongoing professional growth within the college

• Foster the growth of innovative research, including an expansion of activity with federal agencies and other funding sources

College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (CAI)

Negotiable
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. Learn more here

Applicants must have a PhD and have a record of achievement in administrative leadership, research and teaching; and a strong academic background with a record of scholarship that would qualify for appointment as a tenured professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

• Record of successful visionary and collaborative leadership

• Bold vision for the unique role of a college of computing, artificial intelligence, data science and information science in a leading public academic institution

• Record of excellence and commitment to the college's interdisciplinary mission that encompasses education, research and service, including collaborations with industry

• Proven ability to recruit, develop, mentor and lead high-performing teams that foster a culture of excellence, effectiveness, accountability and support shared governance

• Broad financial acumen, including managing budgets in a complex higher education setting

• Experience leading, supporting, and growing extramural funded research programs at the individual and institutional level

• Understanding and appreciation of the missions and constituencies of a major public research university; proven ability to build coalitions and engage diverse constituencies; commitment to advancing and fostering a culture of inclusivity and equity

• Ability to effectively represent the college and university in educational, governmental, business, alumni, and public forums through communication and relationship building

• Experience in developing philanthropic support for the mission(s) of the college

PhD required

Applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this position description.

The search firm, Isaacson, Miller, is assisting the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this search. To ensure consideration, candidate materials should be received by April 1, 2026.

Application materials should be submitted using Isaacson, Miller's portal. https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/university-of-wisconsin-madison-college-computing/dean

Important information regarding confidentiality: Unless confidentiality is requested in writing, UW-Madison is required by Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7) to release the names of all applicants to anyone who requests that information. If you would like to request confidentiality, please indicate that in an email to Elizabeth Arvantis Elizabeth Arvanitis earvanitis@imsearch.com

Candidates who advance to the finalist round are announced publicly prior to their campus visits.

Please visit https://apps.diversity.wisc.edu/questionnaire.aspx to complete voluntary self-identification information. Job Requisition# JR10007911

Elizabeth Arvanitis, earvanitis@imsearch.com

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.