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Dean Search

Dean Search 

Updated 5:39 p.m. Nov 3, 2025

This page is to provide members of the U of A community with information on current deans' searches, including information about search firms, search committee members lists, and status. This page will be updated as the searches progress.

2025 Wyant College of Optical Science Dean Search

Search Firm: Issacson Miller Executive Search | Isaacson, Miller

Search Status: Campus visits concluded. 

Committee Chair

Iman Hakim, Dean, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Committee Members

Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, Sr VP, Research and Innovation 
Bernard Kress, Director, XR Hardware at Google  
Brandon Chalifoux, Assistant Professor of Optical Sciences and Assistant Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Justin Walker, Associate Dean for Business Development and Administration 
Hong Hua, Professor and Jean M. Bennett Optical Endowed Chair, Optical Sciences
Travis Sawyer, Assistant Professor of Optical Sciences  
R. Jason Jones, Professor and John Paul Schaefer Endowed Chair
Masud Mansuripur, Professor of Optical Sciences and Chair of Optical Data Storage 
Kanu Sinha, Assistant Professor of Optical Sciences 
Mario Romero-Ortega, Professor and Department Head of Biomedical Engineering 

Mark Rodriguez, Manager, Program Finance & Operations
Laura Sawyer, Ph.D. Student 
Rayce Bacchus, Undergraduate Student 

Campus Interviews
Candidate A: Nov 6 - Nov 7

Campus Presentation: Nov 7, 9am-10am

Candidate B: Nov 13 - Nov 14

Campus Presentation: Nov 14, 9am-10am

Candidate C: Nov 17 - Nov 18

Campus Presentation: Nov 18, 9am-10am

Candidate D: Dec 1 - Dec 2

Campus Presentation: Dec 2, 9am-10am

2025 James E. Rogers College of Law Dean Search

Search Firm: WittKieffer

Search Status: Accepting Applications

https://arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/24342?c=arizona&sq=req24342.

Committee Chair

Lori Poloni-Staudinger, Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Committee Members

1. Arjun Puri, third-year law student
2. Damon Clark, second-year law student
3. David F. Levi, James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean Emeritus of Law, Duke Law School
4. Diana Newmark, Associate Clinical Professor of Law; Director, Education Advocacy Clinic; Distinguished Public Service Scholar
5. Heather Whiteman Runs Him, Associate Clinical Professor; Director, Tribal Justice Clinic
6. Jordan Woods, Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Professor of Law
7. Justin Pidot, Professor of Law, Ashby Lohse Chair in Water & Natural Resources; Co-director of the Environmental Law Program
8. Kristine Huskey, Clinical Professor of Law; Director, Veterans' Advocacy Law Clinic and Director of Clinics   
9. Rory Juneman, Chair, James E. Rogers College of Law Association  
10. Ruben Fierros, Director of Admissions, College of Law 
11. Shannon Walker, Director of Development 

12. Sylvia Lett, Associate Clinical Professor of Law
13. Teresa Miguel-Sterns, Associate Dean, Legal Information Innovation; Director, Law Library & Professor 

2025 College of Pharmacy Dean Search

Search Firm: WittKieffer

Search Status: Drafting position 

Committee Chair

Julie Funk, Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine

Committee Members

1. Sample, Paxton Alan, Graduate Student, Pharm Tox PhD

2. Robinson, Ali, Professional Student, PharmD P3

3. Haverman, Riley, Undergraduate Student, BSPS

4. Date, Abhijit, Associate Professor

5. LaFleur, Bonnie, Research Professor

6. Zhu, Haining, Professor

7. Galligan, Jim, Associate Professor

8. Cameron, Caitlin, Associate Professor of Practice

9. Edwards, Chris, Associate Clinical Professor

10. Matthias, Kathryn, Associate Clinical Professor

11. Cherrington, Nathan, Professor and Associate Dean, Research

12. Basurto, Sonya, Coordinator, Administrative Services

13. Smith, Nicholas, Assistant Dean, Finance and Administration

14. Musil, John, Donor, Alumnus

15. Peterson-Layne, Cathleen, Chair of National Advisory Board, Alumna

 

 

2025 College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences

Search Firm: WittKieffer

Search Status: Conducting listening sessions

Committee Chair

Jenna Rickus, Senior Vice Provost, Office of the Provost and Jenny Lee, Dean and Vice President, Arizona International 

Committee Members

1. Zelieann Craig, Assistant Dean for Research and Associate Professor, Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences

2. Kathleen Kennedy, Professor of Practice, Retailing and Consumer Science

3. Ashley Snider, Professor, School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness

4. Katharine Zeiders, Professor, Norton School of Human Ecology 

5. Glenn Wright, Associate Professor & Associate Extension Specialist

6. Tauhidur Rahman, Associate Professor, Agricultural & Applied Economics

7. Kina Barton, Assistant Dean, Finance and Administration, Vet Med

8. Wendy Moore – Professor, Department of Entomology, Curator - U of A Insect Collection

9. Phil Bashaw – AZ Farm Bureau

10. Taylor Grogg, Financial Analysis Manager, ALVSCE Administration

11. Dominic Rodriguez, Interim Director of Tribal Extension Program

12. Kimberly Alvarez – Undergraduate Student 

13. Alma Anides Morales, Ph.D. candidate

14. Bas Aja, Executive Vice-President Arizona Cattlemen's Association

15. Thomas Torres, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management

Listening Sessions:

County Extension Directors, Experiment Station Unit Directors and Extension Administrative Team     
Monday, November 17 at 9:00-10:00am
Undergraduate and Graduate Students   
Monday, November 17 at 10:30-11:30am
Executive Council and Dean’s Direct Reports    
Monday, November 17 at 1:00-1:45pm
Staff and Postdocs   
Monday, November 17 at 2:30-3:30pm
Faculty             
Monday, November 17 at 4:00-5:00pm     
School Directors and Academic Department Heads    
Tuesday, November 18 at 10:30-11:15am                     
Ag100 Council             
Wednesday, November 19 at 10:30-11:15am
CALES Alumni Council Board of Directors            
Wednesday, November 19 at 1:00-1:45pm

Community, External and Industry Partners

Thursday, December 4 at 9:00-9:45am

Extension Faculty and Staff

Thursday, December 4 at 10:00-10:45am

Open Session

Thursday, December 4 at 3:00-3:45pm

Community Input Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QTDZSXV

2025 College of Information Science Dean Search

Search Status: Committee Reviewing Applications

Committee Chair

Shan Sutton, Dean, University of Arizona Libraries

Committee Members

Berlin Loa, Associate Professor of Practice
Cheryl Knott, Professor
Ryan Straight, Assistant Professor 
Xiao Hu, Associate Professor 
Simmons Buntin, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
Brooke Hesse, Student
Laura Dozal, Student 
 

*Campus Interviews will take place in early January 2026.*

2025 College of Education Dean Search

Search Status: Accepting Applications

Committee Chair

Hasan Elahi, Dean, Arizona Arts

Committee Members

Karina Salazar, tenure-track assistant professor

Iliana Reyes, tenure-track professor, associate dean

Melanie Cody, tenure-track assistant professor

Toni Sparks, career-track professor of practice

Eryn McKinley, Manager of Post-Award and Research Administration 

Travis Dean, graduate student

Christina Petrin, undergraduate student 

*Campus Interviews will take place in early January 2026.*

2025 Arizona Arts Dean Search

Search Firm: WittKieffer (https://www.wittkieffer.com)

Search Status: Completed

Committee Chair

Nancy Pollock-Ellwand, Dean, College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture

Committee Members

Adriana Gallego, Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona 
Chad Herzog, Executive + Artistic Director, Arizona Arts Live 
David Morden, Associate Professor, TFTV
Gia Del Pino, PhD student, Art and Visual Culture Education; Marketing Specialist, Center for Creative Photography; Program Coordinator, JustArts Fellowship
Julia Franco Ramos, Undergraduate Student, TFTV
Karin Nolan, Associate Professor of Practice, School of Music
Lori Wiest, Professor, Director, School of Music 
Sama Alshaibi, Regents Professor, School of Art
Tamara Dyke-Compton, Associate Director and Associate Professor, School of Dance
Tilghman Moyer, Executive Director of Development

Contact

Clarisa Robles Parra, MBA
Chief of Staff
clarisarobles@arizona.edu