Dean, Emerging School of Public Health

Search for the Dean, Emerging School of Public Health

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University seeks an inaugural dean of its new School of Public Health. As Michigan’s leading urban research university, Wayne State offers over 375 academic programs across 13 schools and colleges—soon to include SPH—and serves more than 24,000 students from across the U.S. and 70 countries. Recognized as a top 100 public university and a national leader in economic and social mobility, WSU holds the Carnegie Classification of “very high research activity”.

Wayne State’s unique partnership with its home city of Detroit represents a model for how a university and its community can advance the life and health of all together, and has earned the university the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement for over a decade.

Wayne State is establishing a new School of Public Health to address the urgent public health challenges facing Detroit, Southeast Michigan, and the nation. The school builds on the university’s longstanding commitment to urban health and community-based change, and will unify existing public health programs and faculty across multiple colleges and departments. With one of the nation’s largest undergraduate public health programs and a robust research portfolio, the school will serve as a hub for interdisciplinary scholarship, education, and service.

The inaugural dean will lead the launch of the school, shaping its structure, culture, and strategic direction. Guide by the foundational work of the Public Health Executive Committee and 10 working groups, the dean will guide accreditation efforts, foster community and health system partnerships, and position the school as a national model for urban public health innovation. The dean will contribute to advancing interprofessional education, translational research, and health equity in a collaborative university and health sciences enterprise.

The ideal candidate will bring significant academic leadership experience, deep knowledge of public health education, research, and practice, along with the vision, adaptability, and relationship-building skills needed to launch and grow a mission-driven school.

Wayne State University has engaged Isaacson, Miller to assist in this search. Applications, nominations, referrals, and inquiries should be sent in confidence via

Wayne State University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, height, weight, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The university welcomes applications from persons with disabilities and veterans. Wayne State is an equal opportunity employer.