The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB, or the University) seeks an accomplished, collaborative, and forward-looking dean to lead the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS, or the College).
The College of Arts and Sciences encompasses the arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics across 19 departments and 10 interdisciplinary programs, including five joint programs with the Heersink School of Medicine. As the largest academic unit at UAB, the College offers more than 41 baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as a wide range of certificates and minors. The College of Arts and Sciences is home to approximately 6,000 students, 307 faculty members, and 157 staff.
The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences serves as its chief academic and executive officer, reporting to the University’s Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The next Dean will unite the College’s departments, programs, and perspectives behind a compelling shared vision that celebrates their individual strengths while fostering a strong collective identity and purpose. This individual will build strong teams, support departmental leaders, promote interdisciplinary engagement, and serve as a persuasive advocate for the liberal arts and sciences within a university widely recognized for excellence in health care, medicine, and research. Working closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, University leadership, and community partners, the Dean will advance the priorities of the College’s Strategic Plan 2024–2028 and UAB’s broader Forging Ahead Strategic Plan.
As a leading urban research university and recently announced member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), UAB offers exceptional opportunities to connect classroom learning with research, service, and engagement in Birmingham. The Dean will build upon these opportunities to strengthen recruitment, retention, experiential learning, undergraduate research, career preparation, and post-graduate outcomes for a student population that includes first-generation, Pell-eligible, transfer, adult, and non-traditional learners. The Dean will also champion excellence across the full range of the College’s research, scholarship, and creative activity, supporting externally funded research, creative performance and exhibition, public and community-engaged scholarship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the pursuit of funding from varied sources.
A detailed leadership profile is available at wittkieffer.com.
Applications, nominations, and inquiries can be submitted through the WittKieffer Candidate Portal. Applicants should submit, as separate documents, a CV or résumé and a letter of interest that addresses the themes outlined in this profile. WittKieffer is assisting the University of Alabama at Birmingham in this search. For full consideration, candidate materials should be received by January 20, 2027.
Nominations and inquiries can also be directed to Ryan Crawford, Phillip Tang, and Sarah Seavy at UAB-CASDean@wittkieffer.com.
UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability, religion, and veteran’s status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB’s Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.
