Search begins for next School of Education dean

A search-and-screen committee has been appointed to help identify and select candidates for the next dean of the School of Education. Carolyn Kelley, professor of educational leadership and policy analysis in the School of Education, is chairing the search committee.

Diana Hess, who has served as dean of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education since 2015, announced in October that she will return to the faculty in summer 2024, leaving a legacy of growth, excellence and innovation at one of the nation’s most prominent schools of education.

The dean, who reports to the chancellor through the provost, serves as the chief academic and executive officer of the School of Education, with responsibilities in the areas of staffing, budget, curriculum, student academic affairs and physical space, as well as fundraising and alumni relations.

A full description of the position can be found on UW–Madison’s jobs board.

The School of Education is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation. According to the 2023-24 U.S. News and World Report’s ‘Best Graduate Schools’ rankings, UW–Madison’s School of Education is No. 3 — marking the 10th straight year it has been ranked among the top five. In addition, nine graduate programs in the School of Education were ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News.

Campus has engaged the firm WittKieffer to assist in the search.

Attend a virtual public forum or give input through an online survey

WittKieffer will hold virtual public meetings to provide opportunities for anyone who would like to give feedback about qualities they would like to see in the next dean or to ask questions about the process. The information will be used to support candidate recruitment and inform the search committee’s screening process.

The two forums will be held via Zoom on Jan. 16 from 3-4 p.m. and Jan. 17 from 2-3 p.m.

If you have input for our search but are unable to participate in one of the virtual sessions, please complete the UW–Madison School of Education Dean Input Survey to provide your input.

Learn more about the search

Please visit the search site for nominations and applications. The deadline for full consideration is March 18.

Full search and screen committee

In addition to Carolyn Kelley, committee members include:

David Bell, professor, Kinesiology, School of Education
Harry Brighouse, professor, Philosophy, College of Letters & Science
Mariana Castro, MLRC qualitative research director, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, School of Education
Li Chiao-Ping, professor, Dance, School of Education
Cherish Golden, student representative, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, School of Education
Mary Gulbrandsen, chair, Board of Visitors, School of Education
Brian Koster, baker and program specialist, Conference Centers, Wisconsin Union
Anna Lewis, director, Academic Technologies & Libraries, MERIT (Media, Education Resources and Information Technology
Steve Quintana, professor, Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Diego Román, assistant professor, Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education
Soyeon Shim, dean, School of Human Ecology
Anjalé Welton, professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, School of Education