AGB Search is pleased to assist the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions with this leadership search.
For best consideration, applications should be submitted by March 5, 2026, to the AGB Search application portal at: Dean, Watts College
Arizona State University invites applications and nominations for the next Dean of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Watts College).
Arizona State University seeks a visionary, dynamic, and collaborative leader to serve as the Dean of the Watts College, with responsibility for four schools: School of Community Resources and Development, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, School of Public Affairs, and School of Social Work; more than 30 research units, and numerous undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Current student enrollment in the Watts College is over 7,000 students and annual research expenditures are in excess of $34M for FY25.
ThenextDeanofWattsCollegewillprovideacademicandadministrativeleadershipfortheCollegebyfacilitatingenrollment growthandthesuccessofinpersonandonlinestudentpopulationsattheundergraduateandgraduatelevelsalignedwiththe ASU Charter; catalyzing interdisciplinary research initiatives and partnerships; and engaging federal, state, community partners, alumni,anddonorstogrowresourcesinsupportofstudentsandfaculty.TheDeanoftheWattsCollegereportstotheExecutive VicePresidentandUniversityProvostandisamemberoftheProvost’sDeansCouncil.Thesuccessfulcandidatewillbean academicinnovatorwiththeabilitytoengagefaculty,students,staff,andthewidercommunityinenvisioning21stcenturymodels ofeducation,researchandengagement.
About ASU
Arizona State University, ranked No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 11 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University. Repeatedly ranked No. 1, ASU has topped more than 30 lists in the last three years: No. 1 in the U.S. for global impact (Times Higher Education) and No. 1 in the U.S. for sustainable practices (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education). ASU is a comprehensive public research institution, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. ASU operates on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students, attracting some of the highest-quality students from all 50 states and more than 130 nations.
About Watts College
Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and CommunitySolutionsisahighlyranked,comprehensivecollegeofpublicservice.Ourfourschoolsandover30researchcenters, officesandlabsareadvancingrelevanteducationalprogramsandevidence-basedsolutionstoaddresssomeoftheworld’smost challengingsocialissues.
Academicexcellenceandaccessibility
TheWattsCollegeofPublicServiceandCommunitySolutionsis hometooneoftheuniversity'smostinclusivelearning environments—highpercentagesofstudentscomingfrom historicallyunderrepresentedracialandethnicgroups,students whoarethefirstintheirfamilytogotocollegeandthosefacing high-financialneed.Amongourstudentsarenearly300veterans, andweserveinternationalstudentscomingfrom59countries. Lastyear,weawardedover2,500degrees.Manyofourstudents winlocalandnationalawards,andstudyconcurrentlyinASU's Barrett,theHonorsCollege.Weareproudtoworkcloselywith communitypartnerstomeetemergingworkforceneeds,andour commitmenttohands-on,servicelearninghelpspreparethenext generationofpublicservants.Ourhighlyrankedprogramsare availableinpersonoronline—weofferdegreesinArizonaat ASU'sDowntownPhoenixcampus,ASU'sWestValleycampus,in TucsonandYuma,andattheHainan-ArizonaStateUniversity InternationalCollege(HAIC)inHainan,China.
Local impact,socialembeddedness
ASUisananchorinstitution,vitaltothePhoenixmetropolitanarea.Regardlessofwheretheystudy,theWattsCollegeofPublic Service’sstudentsareclosetothepartnersweserve.Public serviceisacornerstoneofouracademicprograms,research endeavorsandstudentexperiences.Webringaspiritof experimentation and systems-level thinking to the shared challenge ofcreatingandmaintainingpublicgoods.
Solutions-orientedresearch
Ourresearchisuse-inspired,integratingtheoreticalandapplied approachestofindsolutionstocomplexsocialissues.Ourunique structure—expertiseacrossabroadrangeofareas— complementsourentrepreneurialapproach.Wearedeeply embeddedinthecommunity,forgingpartnershipsthattakeon projectswithlocal,nationalandinternationalimpact.
Communityforgood
AtWattsCollege,students,facultyandalumnicometogetherto changetheworldforthebetter.Wedon’tjuststudypublicservice. Weliveit.Fromfortifyingfamiliesandneighborhoodstoshaping policyandleadingorganizations,ourpeoplemakeadifference everyday.Welearnfromoneanother,liftoneanotherupand shareacommonpurpose:tocreatecommunitieswhereeveryonecanthrive.
Whenweworktogether,ourimpactlasts.That’sthepowerofa#CommunityForGood
Essential Functions
Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President and University Provost, the Dean will provide academic and administrative leadership for the Watts College, representing it inside and outside the University. The Dean must be committed to working with the Provost, the other Deans and University leaders, and the faculty to achieve University academic goals for excellence in research and learning, and to further goals for inclusion and impact. Responsibilities include budget, strategic planning, resource development, personnel decisions, student academic affairs, faculty, staff and student development, promotion of research, and planning and implementation of degree programs.
Required Qualifications
An earned doctorate in a Watts College discipline or related field;
A record of distinguished scholarly research and professional accomplishments that merits appointment as a full professor with tenure, and
Previous service in an academic leadership role (dean, department chair, associate dean, associate director or equivalent), ideally within parks, recreation, nonprofit leadership, tourism, public affairs, social work, community planning, criminal justice or other public service oriented disciplines including strategic planning, personnel management, and budgeting.
Desired Qualifications
Commitment to the ideals of ASU’s mission and Charter: access, excellence and impact, and the ability to foster an atmosphere of belonging for students, staff and faculty.
An empathetic leadership style and a commitment to a culture of transparency.
Demonstrated commitment and ability to advance the academic excellence of schools and programs, building on accomplishments and developing strategic opportunities for the future.
Experience leading curricular reform, launching new programs or centers, organizational restructuring and strategic growth, especially relevant in a college to meet changing social and fiscal challenges.
Demonstrated commitment to promoting the provision of dynamic student experiences in and out of the classroom (online, in person and hybrid modalities) that lead to success beyond the classroom and graduation.
Attuned to emerging technologies such as AI and their implications for academic as well as the professions for which students are preparing.
Experience fostering a robust research environment and supporting faculty research excellence through strengthening existing centers, identifying new opportunities, and facilitating collaboration among cross disciplinary teams.
A proven record of success in attaining federal research funding and the ability to support faculty in navigating the changing external funding landscape.
Proven record in fiscal management and resource allocation.
Commitment to engaging and supporting staff and faculty at all levels, across all career tracks, including faculty promotion, tenure, and renewal; staff career development, retention efforts, mentoring, and professional development.
Experience supervising executive and senior leaders.
Proven capacity to build and sustain relationships across sectors: academia, government, tribal nations, nonprofits, private sector, community organizations, foundations, donors, alumni, and external stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability engaging with alumni and developing relationships to foster philanthropic support.
A commitment to public service and community well-being with demonstrated success in developing partnerships and solutions to address real-world problems.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to serve as a connector and conduit for information between University leadership and the Watts College, including advocating for Watts College priorities.
For best consideration, applications should be submitted by March 5, 2026, to the AGB Search application portal at: Dean, Watts College Candidates are requested to submit the following:
1. A curriculum vitae
2. A letter of interest that addresses how the candidate's experience and qualifications connect with the required/desired qualifications and priorities as expressed in this position profile; and
3. Contact information for five references (to be contacted with candidate's permission at a later date).
Nominations and expressions of interest in the Dean, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions position are encouraged. Please direct them to ASUDeanWattsCollege@agbsearch.com or to the AGB search consultants listed below:
Kimberly Templeton, JD, Principal kimberly.templeton@agbsearch.com C: 540.761.9494
Concetta Stewart, PhD, Principal concetta.stewart@agbsearch.com C: 908.341.2178
Anne Hoffman, Executive Search Associate anne.hoffman@agbsearch.com C: 805.490.9161
A background check is required for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.
See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/
In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.
