Job description

The Opportunity

The University of Virginia is seeking a principled, visionary, and strategically minded leader to serve as the next Dean of the School of Architecture. This is a pivotal moment for design education, and the incoming Dean will extend the School’s strong foundation while navigating rapid change, seizing new possibilities, and shaping the future of design practice and pedagogy. The School of Architecture is committed to preparing the next generation of bold thinkers, creative professionals, and civic leaders who will confront the most pressing challenges of our time.

In this context, and reporting to the Executive Vice President and Provost, the Dean will join the School at a pivotal time and will continue to strategically move the School into the future by building upon four strategic areas – Legacy, Impact, Engagement, and Innovation – that embody its values and help to shape the academic mission. Inherently multi-disciplinary, these focus areas aim to capitalize on the strengths of the School as a global leader in scholarly practice, sustained design, excellence and reputation. The shared commitment to rigorous investigation and critical interpretation shapes the work of students and faculty across all disciplines, as well as the School’s robust public programming.

The deanship represents a rare opportunity to lead a School with exceptional faculty, ambitious students, and a global reputation for excellence in design and scholarship. The next Dean will have the platform to elevate interdisciplinary research, expand the School’s influence, and chart a bold and inspiring vision for the next era of the A-School.

The Role and Responsibilities

The Dean of the School of Architecture serves as the School’s chief academic and administrative officer. The Dean provides strategic vision, and operational leadership for all aspects of the School’s activities—academic programs, faculty and staff affairs, fiscal management, institutional advancement, and external engagement. Importantly, the Dean is expected to be a visible and accessible leader whose presence is evident across the School, engaging regularly with students, staff, faculty, alumni, and advisory boards. The Dean will recruit and support a world-class faculty; oversee academic and operational planning; ensure sound fiscal and facilities management; and promote a vibrant, collaborative environment that supports excellence in teaching, research, and practice. The Dean will work closely with faculty and staff governance, University administration, and the School’s advisory boards to ensure that the School continues to thrive as a creative and intellectual cornerstone of the University of Virginia. Additional responsibilities include:

Visionary Leadership

• Build on UVA’s distinction as a pre-eminent public university and the School’s century-long leadership in design education.
• Lead a diverse academic community spanning Architecture, Architectural History, Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Environmental Planning, strengthening interdisciplinary teaching, research, and experiential learning, and fostering a collegial environment in which faculty, staff, and students can thrive creatively and intellectually and can do their best work.
• Inspire a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and innovation that prepares students to address the defining challenges of the 21st century—from climate resilience and housing equity to preservation, design justice, and urban transformation.

Academic Distinction and Scholarly Impact

• Advance the School’s academic profile and visibility nationally and internationally through excellence in teaching, research, and creative practice.
• Promote innovation in pedagogy, design research, and interdisciplinary collaboration that aligns with UVA’s academic and public mission.
• Strengthen connections between design education and the University’s broader strengths in democracy, sustainability, civil and environmental engineering, data science, public policy, and the arts.
• Strengthen the School’s research enterprise by expanding access to public-sector funding, foundation grants, and private-sector partnerships that support applied, creative, and scholarly work.

Collaboration and External Partnerships

• Serve as the principal advocate and ambassador for the School, representing it across UVA and to national and international audiences.
• Serve as a bridge-builder across Grounds, developing collaborative initiatives with other UVA schools that enhance academic programs, research impact, and institutional support.
• Cultivate external collaborations with alumni, practitioners, civic leaders, and global partners that translate research and design ideas into real-world impact.
• Strengthen engagement with the School of Architecture Foundation, alumni network, and professional associations to extend the reach and reputation of the School, and advance the School’s influence, visibility, and impact.

Resource Development and Stewardship

• Provide visible and sustained leadership for the School’s fundraising and advancement efforts, working closely with the School of Architecture Foundation and the University’s advancement team to secure philanthropic support for strategic priorities. Articulate a compelling case for investment in the School’s priorities, including student scholarships, professorships, research initiatives, and capital improvements to support the School’s academic mission.
• Oversee fiscal planning and management, ensuring efficient and responsible stewardship of financial and physical resources.
• Develop innovative partnerships and revenue-generating opportunities that sustain the School’s long-term growth and impact.

Ideal Experience and Characteristics

• The University of Virginia seeks an accomplished and imaginative leader who embodies the School of Architecture’s commitment to design excellence, academic rigor, and public service. The ideal candidate will bring proven academic or professional distinction, the capacity to lead collaboratively, and the ability to inspire a community of scholars, practitioners, and students to advance the School’s mission and its national and global impact. Additional qualifications include the following:
• Record of scholarly, creative, or professional excellence in architecture, architectural history, landscape architecture, or urban and environmental planning.
• Advanced professional or doctoral degree with credentials suitable for appointment as a full professor.
• Demonstrated record of academic leadership and administrative effectiveness in a complex setting.
• Experience guiding faculty development and academic programs that promote innovation, collaboration, and intellectual rigor.
• Demonstrated ability to lead with an understanding of institutional capacity, balancing ambition with sustainability.
• Proven success in strategic planning, fiscal management, and fundraising, with the ability to build strong relationships with alumni and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to lead within a shared governance framework, with a commitment to meaningful consultation and transparent decision-making.
• Integrity, sound judgment, and humility in leadership and decision-making.
• Collegial and visible presence who fosters trust, shared purpose, and connection across disciplines.
• Strategic and creative thinker able to inspire and mobilize a diverse academic community.
• Demonstrated ability to work diplomatically across complex academic settings, building productive relationships with University leadership and cultivating trust among faculty, staff, and students.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to represent the School compellingly across the University and beyond.

ABOUT THE UNIVERISTY OF VIRGINIA

The University of Virginia (UVA) ranks as one of the leading Universities in the nation, pursuing excellence with purpose. A proudly public institution, UVA is consistently ranked among the best universities in the United States for both excellence and value. As a vibrant and student-centric institution animated by the forward-looking spirit of its founder, Thomas Jefferson, UVA serves the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world by advancing knowledge and preparing students to be citizen leaders guided by empathy, integrity, and truth.

The Princeton Review ranked UVA as the No. 1 public school for financial aid for the fourth consecutive year. UVA also secured the No. 3 spot as the best value public university and ranked No. 4 for career placement. Recognized for providing exceptional financial aid, health services, and strong alumni networks, UVA continues to deliver outstanding value and support to students. UVA remains one of the few public universities to meet 100% of every undergraduate student’s financial need and offers admission to students with no consideration of a family’s income. Several schools are among the highest ranked in their fields, and some, including Darden and Law, have received No. 1 national rankings.

UVA brings together a global community of approximately 25,000 students, hailing from virtually every state in the nation and 111 countries. UVA encompasses twelve schools in Charlottesville, as well as the College at Wise, a small, liberal-arts college in Southwest Virginia, and its newest campus in Northern Virginia. The University employs over 32,000 people, including approximately 20,000 academic division faculty and staff, nearly 12,000 UVA Health employees, and faculty and staff at UVA Wise.

The Student Experience

The UVA student experience is unique, punctuated by many distinct aspects of University life: the elegance of the architecture; the Honor System and the resulting community of trust; the Lawn and its residential community for faculty and students; the primacy of student self-governance; the diversity of the student body; the emphasis on service; and the beauty and history of the surrounding area. Founded on long-held values of academic excellence, this experience is also marked by a first-year retention rate of 97% and an undergraduate graduation rate of 94%, among the highest in the country. These dimensions of the student experience – along with many others – shape UVA graduates to be driven, intellectually curious, and community-minded citizens of integrity and purpose. The current student body is made up of more than 16,000 undergraduates and nearly 8,000 graduate and professional students.

A World Treasure: The Academical Village

At the heart of the University is the Academical Village – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UVA is the only U.S. university with a UNESCO designation, signifying the cultural significance of UVA’s Grounds in conjunction with Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. Notably, UVA is one of only two UNESCO sites still being used for its original purpose. Today, the original Academical Village continues to bring Jefferson’s vision to life every day. The Rotunda – originally the University’s library – still serves as the heart of the University. The eastern and western sides of the Lawn retain the unique pavilions and student living quarters as originally sketched. These buildings continue to play a major role in the University’s community, housing some of UVA’s most honored faculty and student leaders and enabling them to live and learn together.

Leadership

Scott Beardsley, former dean of UVA’s Darden, School of Business, was recently appointed the 10th President of the University. The President is advised by the academic Deans and the cabinet. The cabinet includes the Interim Provost, Brie Gertler, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis, and Dr. Mitchell Rosner, the Chief Executive Officer for UVA Health and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs for UVA. This leadership team is dedicated to advancing the University’s academic mission, research enterprise, and strategic vision.

UVA Research

The University of Virginia’s world-class research programs advance knowledge and enable discoveries that enrich and improve lives. A Carnegie Research 1 university, UVA has strong partnerships with leading federal and state agencies and some of the world’s largest companies across a wide range of industries. Sponsored research awards in 2024-2025 total $570 million (excluding any potential adjustments) from all sources, including federal and state agencies, industry, and private foundations. UVA has $829M in R&D Expenditures in the NSF Herd report, ranking UVA at #48 in the USA in the last cycle. UVA researchers have made hundreds of invention disclosures, and patents issued in recent years. UVA’s Licensing and Ventures Group helps bring innovative companies and products to the market, making Charlottesville one of the most vibrant venture capital markets in the country. UVA has a large research park located near Charlottesville airport.

Financial Stewardship and Stability

The University has developed an exceptionally strong financial foundation as exhibited by a $15.5 billion long-term assets under management net position on June 30, 2025, and a consensus triple-A bond rating. The three major rating agencies have noted the University’s excellent reputation; student demand, highly selective admissions, and broad geographic reach; sponsored research prowess; superior wealth and liquidity management; exceptional strategic positioning supported by strong planning, risk management, and ongoing prospects to support programmatic investments; the Medical Center’s prominent clinical reputation and ability to compete for patient care revenue; and remarkable donor support, among other factors. A recently completed capital campaign raised $6.1 billion.

The $6.4 billion FY2026 annual budget encompasses the Medical Center ($3.8 billion), the Academic Division ($2.5 billion), and the College at Wise ($78 million). Significant revenue sources for the Academic Division include tuition and fees (34%), externally sponsored programs (22%), endowment distribution (13%), state appropriations (12%), expendable gifts (9%), and sales and services (9%) The University and its associated organization have approximately $15.5 billion invested in the University of Virginia Investment Management Company’s (UVIMCO) long-term pool as of June 30, 2025, boosted by the long-term performance of UVIMCO, which has achieved a 9.6% return over the past twenty years, compared to a benchmark of 7.5%. In recent years, UVA has transformed significant parts of its operations (HR and Finance) and implemented new cloud-based systems that will enable best-in-class analysis, services, and support in a rapidly changing environment.

Excellence and Opportunity

Now entering its third century, the University of Virginia offers an affordable, world-class education that is consistently ranked among the nation’s best. UVA admits talented students from across the Commonwealth, the nation, and the globe, without consideration of their financial situation. UVA is one of two public universities that has a need-blind admission process that meets 100 percent of admitted students’ demonstrated need. The University offers robust student scholarship support to attract the best and brightest students from all backgrounds, while protecting against excessive student debt.

Global Engagement and Orientation

UVA is a global University with a strategic focus on preparing its students to become globally engaged citizen leaders after graduation and supporting its faculty as they discover solutions to leading global challenges, ranging from mitigating climate change, managing migration, combating infectious diseases, and supporting democracy around the world. The University aims to support at least one global experience for every undergraduate student before graduation, with rapidly expanding study abroad opportunities and increasingly globally oriented curriculum, internships, and programming. In addition, the University continues to grow resources for faculty pursuing global objectives.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs shapes and implements the University of Virginia’s global strategy, including the development of opportunities for students and faculty to have international experiences in education abroad programs, internships, and globally focused research collaborations. The office leads efforts to grow an official presence in every key region of the world, develops and maintains international academic partnerships, and operates a hub for enhancing globally oriented content in the University’s curriculum and programming.

UVA’s Global Affairs includes the Center for Global Health Equity, the Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation, Global Studies, and the International Studies Office. The University operates an office based in Shanghai, China, focused on support for education abroad programs, recruitment, and alumni engagement with plans to expand its focus more broadly in east Asia and southeast Asia. Planning is underway to open an office in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2026. Additional planning for an office in India is underway.

University Advancement and the Honor the Future Campaign

University Advancement is the primary driver of constituent engagement and fundraising efforts for UVA. It includes the Health System Development Office and comprises approximately 270 team members. University Advancement is charged with securing philanthropic support for pan-University priorities and strategic initiatives, and several UVA schools and units have established management partnerships with University Advancement for their development efforts. They work in close partnership with the independent foundations and fundraising offices associated with other UVA schools and units to form a holistic enterprise supporting shared strategic goals.

In support of its aspirations to be the best public university in the nation and among the best in the world, the University launched the Honor the Future capital campaign with a quiet phase beginning in the summer of 2017, followed by a public launch in October of 2019. UVA set an ambitious goal of $5 billion with a target completion date of June 30, 2025, which was surpassed eighteen months ahead of target due to the enormous generosity of alumni, parents, and friends. The campaign substantially outpaced its goal, raising a total of $6.1 billion.

UVA Athletics

UVA has a strong history of athletic success and is committed to developing Cavaliers both academically and athletically. In the academic year ending in 2023, UVA posted a top five finish in the Directors’ Cup all-sports rankings for more than 300 NCAA Division I programs, the highest in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In 2024 and 2025, UVA was 12th overall (4th in the ACC). During its storied athletics history (through the summer of 2025), Virginia captured 35 NCAA team national championships, 155 ACC championships, and produced multiple NCAA and ACC individual champions. Most recently, the Cavalier women’s swimming and diving program won its fifth consecutive national championship and sent six swimmers to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Head coach Todd DeSorbo was Team USA’s women’s head coach at the Games.

Thirteen UVA athletics programs have been ranked No. 1 in their respective sports at some point in their history. UVA student-athletes have gone on to win Super Bowls, World Cups, NBA Championships, and World Series and have been inducted into multiple national halls of fame.

Academically, UVA ranks among the nation’s leaders in the NCAA Graduation Success Rate and Academic Progress Rate (APR) reports, well above national averages.

UVA Health

UVA Health’s vision is to be the nation’s leading public academic health system and a best place to work — while transforming patient care, research, education, and engagement with the diverse communities it serves. UVA Health is an expansive network comprised of the UVA Medical Center, UVA Community Health (including hospitals in Culpeper, Prince William, Haymarket and a community medical practice), UVA School of Nursing, UVA School of Medicine, University of Virginia Physicians Group, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, and other strategic partnerships and alliances.

UVA Health has a long and storied history beginning almost two centuries ago. The School of Medicine was founded in 1825, six short years after Thomas Jefferson founded UVA, becoming the 10th medical school in the nation. UVA Health continues to expand at an incredibly rapid rate and to invest significant resources across all missions. Just over the past four years UVA Health has opened a new 84 bed tower, acquired a free-standing ambulatory surgery center, opened a 200,000 square foot orthopedic center, acquired three community hospitals as well as a physicians’ organization in Northern Virginia, became the #1 children’s hospital in the state, and successfully achieved comprehensive status for its NCI designated cancer center.

UVA | Northern Virginia

Launched as part of UVA’s 2030 Great and Good strategic plan, UVA | Northern Virginia’s mission is to connect Grounds in Charlottesville with Northern Virginia, and vice versa. UVA reimagined how the academic rigor of Charlottesville could be channeled north to create UVA | Northern Virginia – a knowledge tap of educational programs, research, mentorship, and events to support Northern Virginia working professionals in parallel with their careers. UVA | Northern Virginia is the center point of UVA’s efforts to better serve the commonwealth by bringing new and existing academic programs across disciplines and modalities – in-person, online, and hybrid – to Northern Virginia.

UVA | Northern Virginia works across UVA units to promote over 35 degree and non-degree programs for working professionals in the region. Offerings include programs from the Darden School of Business, McIntire School of Commerce, School of Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Architecture, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, School of Data Science, School of Education and Human Development, and the School of Nursing. In addition, UVA | Northern Virginia continues to develop non-degree educational programs with government and corporate partners; highlights include a custom executive education program with Amazon and an open enrollment program for the Department of Defense. The UVA | Northern Virginia Inspire Summer Program, offering in-person and online courses across disciplines such as programming and forensic science, serves local high school students in the Northern Virginia region.

To house these programs, UVA | Northern Virginia built a 55,000-square-foot satellite campus in Fairfax, VA, to serve as the hub of all university activity in the region. UVA | Northern Virginia is led by Dean and CEO, Gregory Fairchild.

About Charlottesville

Located in Central Virginia just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and 100 miles south of Washington, D.C., Charlottesville offers stunning natural beauty, thriving art, music, and food culture, and an ever-growing list of things to do. In the span of a single day, you can hike part of the Appalachian trail, attend a concert, enjoy a memorable meal at one of Charlottesville’s many celebrated restaurants (we rank among the nation’s top 15 places with the most restaurants per capita). You can also stroll the historic Downtown Mall, explore Monticello, tour the Fralin Museum, visit the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, or enjoy world-class wineries in some of the most beautiful landscapes on the East Coast.

Whatever you do, Charlottesville brings together the best of many worlds, offering the livability and community of a small city with the amenities and cultural attractions of a metropolis. For more information visit www.visitcharlottesville.org/.

How to apply

To Apply or Nominate

• UVA Executive Search Group (ESG), the University’s executive search firm, is assisting in the recruitment of the next Dean of the School of Architecture. The search is being led by Managing Directors Susan Gaines and Nalini Turner.
• Confidential inquiries and nominations are invited and may be submitted through this online form. To apply, submit a letter of interest and a CV to [email protected]. Additional information about the search can be found here.