Rist Family Dean Of The Robert J. Manning School Of Business

General Summary of Position:

The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) seeks a visionary, creative, and inspirational leader for the position of Rist Family Dean of the Robert J. Manning School of Business.

Reporting to the provost, the dean is the principal academic and administrative officer for the Manning School of Business, which has five academic departments: Management; Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation; Accounting; Operations and Information Systems; and Finance. The dean will provide leadership for school-wide efforts in contributing to the advancement of UMass Lowell as an excellent teaching and research institution and a national thought leader across its disciplines, supporting the growth of its doctoral program. Building upon the university's considerable strengths in the sciences, engineering, health professions, and the humanities, the dean will work in close collaboration with other schools and colleges on campus to promote interdisciplinary research and programming. The dean will strengthen external relationships with industry and alumni, work internally to create the best environment to recruit and develop faculty, and partner with existing faculty to continue the school's tradition of producing students who are well prepared for rewarding careers.

Clustered along the Merrimack River in the heart of Lowell, the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, UMass Lowell anchors a remarkably diverse city. Ranked No. 87 among national public universities by U.S. News & World Report, the University of Massachusetts Lowell has nearly 18,000 students and over 600 full-time faculty in five colleges that offer 135 undergraduate, 50 master's, 28 doctoral degree programs, and 31 certificates in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Programs are accredited at the highest levels and incorporate vigorous hands-on learning and personalized attention.

With deep and mutually reinforcing ties to the technological and cultural nexus of Greater Boston, during the last 10 years UMass Lowell has enjoyed dramatic growth in research funding, private giving, and student applications. As total enrollment has increased-16 percent in the past decade-so have the academic qualifications of UMass Lowell students, with a combined SAT of 1236 and 3.66 average GPA for incoming freshmen and more than 2,000 students in the Honors College.

Some 40 percent of the undergraduate student body and 30 percent of graduate students identify as racially and ethnically diverse. About 40 percent are the first in their family to attend college. UMass Lowell has total annual research expenditures exceeding $95 million, in large part due to innovative partnerships with industry. The university's growing popularity and its distinctive focus on learning through experience continue to make it a university on the rise.

The university also offers highly successful, nationally recognized online education programs, a leading entrepreneurial competition program called DifferenceMaker, and is the top-rated campus in Massachusetts for sustainability, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. UMass Lowell is home to more than 250 student organizations and 14 NCAA Division I athletic teams.

UMass Lowell currently reaps the benefits of hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in its facilities during the last decade and has strategically recruited outstanding full-time faculty across all disciplines. At the same time, the university's commitment to financial aid and accessibility has increased. Independent sources such as Georgetown University's College Scorecard and have recognized UMass Lowell for providing among the best returns on investment in New England.

The university capitalizes on its location - less than 30 miles from downtown Boston -and its surging national reputation by connecting students with internships, co-ops, service learning, and other experiential learning opportunities, along with a major emphasis on international experiences.

The full position profile may be found by clicking on this link:

Minimum Qualifications (Required):

UMass Lowell seeks a dean with broad intellectual insights, top-tier scholarly credentials, and strong management and leadership skills. The selected candidate will bring successful experience in a university, industry, or government environment with a distinguished record of leadership and intellectual achievement. The position requires a leader with strategic capacity and an outstanding record in research and education, superior communication skills, and the political skill and entrepreneurial capacity to inspire the Manning School of Business community.

A doctoral degree or equivalent is required.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Isaacson, Miller, the national executive search firm, has been retained to assist the search committee and
University in this recruitment. Confidential inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications with CVs and cover letters are being accepted for the position and should be sent electronically in confidence to:

Micah Pierce, Partner

Karreem Mebane, Senior Associate

Isaacson, Miller