As part of its ongoing Academic Transformation, Drexel University has begun its search for the new dean of the incipient College of Engineering and Computing, which will be launched in Sept. 2026. The role will focus on shaping the future and direction of the new college, as curriculum and program revisions must be finalized by June 2026, before the new dean begins.
In an interview with The Triangle, Dean David Brown, the search committee chair, emphasized that the ideal candidate for this position is one with an interdisciplinary background, strong leadership skills, and a vision for the future.
“We’re looking for someone who relates very well with people; who can lead with empathy, with collaboration, but nonetheless has a direction forward,” said Brown.
The search committee was formed in accordance with the provost’s dean search policy, with members chosen to meet the required criteria and contribute distinct, valuable perspectives. Members were selected from each of the schools that will comprise CoEC, as well as from other schools with strong ties to both engineering and computing.
This includes 10 faculty and staff members from across the university: Dr. David Brown of the College of Arts & Sciences; Kathleen Funk, Dr. Aleksandra Sarcevic, and Dr. Geoffrey Mainland of the College of Computing & Informatics; Dr. Steven May, Dr. Matthew Stamm, and Dr. Michael Walters of the College of Engineering; Dr. Catherine von Reyn of the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems; Dr. David Gefen of the LeBow College of Business; and Dr. Michael Wagner of the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.
The committee also includes two students: Emily Woodland, B.S./M.S. Biomedical Engineering ‘27, and Sara Frunzi, Mechanical Engineering PhD candidate. All members of the committee received training from the Provost’s office to reduce biases in the candidate selection process.
Even with the new dean’s presence, the three schools under the CoEC umbrella will retain their own leaders. However, it is unclear whether the current interim deans of CCI, CoE, and the School of Biomedical Engineering will remain in their leadership roles or what the titles of these positions will be. The new dean’s role will be to help integrate the cultures across the three schools into a cohesive unit.
Although the position is still open, the committee will soon begin reviewing the growing pool of applicants. At the beginning of the winter term, they will conduct first-round remote interviews, then narrow their pool to finalists for in-person visits. The timeline and number of applicants expected to progress through each stage were left intentionally flexible to ensure the committee selects the best candidate, but ideally, the new candidate will be chosen and prepared to start on July 1.
As the candidate pool grows, the search committee is committed to finding the right person to lead at this pivotal point for Drexel.
“I regard it as the most important, concrete step we can make in academic transformation,” Brown attested.