UA Launches Search For Inaugural Dean Of School Of Leadership And Policy

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The University of Alabama has officially launched a national search for the inaugural dean of its newly established School of Leadership and Policy.

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UA says the dean will be tasked with shaping the school’s vision and mission, developing its organizational structure and recruiting faculty and staff.

The position will also oversee planning, curriculum development, research initiatives and budget decisions while serving as a liaison to campus leaders and external partners at the local, state and federal levels.

UA officials said the dean is expected to work closely with civic leaders, business and industry partners and government officials to advance the goals of the new school and the broader university.

UA says the School of Leadership and Policy will combine classroom instruction with hands-on learning experiences designed to prepare future leaders, policymakers and public servants.

University officials said the interdisciplinary curriculum will focus on how government works and the foundational principles that shape American institutions, including the Constitution, laws and public discourse.

Students will have opportunities to participate in internships, policy labs and community-based projects with public agencies, nonprofits and private-sector partners, with the goal of graduating equipped to address complex public challenges.

As Patch previously reported, UA System Board of Trustees approved the school in November 2025.

It is scheduled to begin offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in public policy and leadership in fall 2027.

Patch also reported in December, longtime UA benefactor Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. made a $500,000 gift to establish the first endowment for UA’s new School of Leadership and Policy.

The deadline for best consideration for the dean position is March 27 and university officials expect to announce the first dean this summer.

A full job description and application information are available online.

Mark Brandon, academic director of the Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership and the Thomas E. McMillan Professor of Law at the UA School of Law, is chairing the search committee.

Committee members include:

• Peter Brummund, associate professor of economics in the Culverhouse College of Business
• Angus R. Cooper III, member of the UA System Board of Trustees
• Rona Donahoe, professor of geological sciences in the Barefield College of Arts & Sciences
• Mark Foley, secretary of the UA System Board of Trustees
• Stewart Hall, UA alumnus and chair of the Shelby Scholars Advisory Board
• Marah Inman, a UA student
• Bob Johnson Jr., professor of educational leadership in the College of Education
• James King Jr., associate dean for culture and success and the Minnie Caddell Miles–Frank A. Rose Memorial Endowed C&BA Professorship of Leadership in the Culverhouse College of Business
• Dan Layzell, vice president for finance and operations
• Jody Singer, UA alumna and former director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
• Joseph Smith, professor of political science in the Barefield College of Arts & Sciences
• Gregory B. Thompson, Distinguished University Research Professor in the Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering.
• Katie B. Thompson, university counsel in the Office of Counsel, will serve as a non-voting member.

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