University of Iowa

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

We're looking for the next leader for a renowned economics department:
The Economics Department has been a premier department in the University of Iowa since Frank Knight was a faculty member in the 1920’s. In 2017, US News ranked the Economics Department 42nd overall and 21st among public institutions. We are looking for a Departmental Executive Officer (DEO) to build on the department’s tradition of excellence.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to make major contributions to the study of economics and to provide strategic leadership aimed at growing and repositioning the department. The college envisions a small, but world-class business economics department.

What we’re about:
The Department of Economics at the University of Iowa is administratively housed in the vibrant Tippie College of Business and offers degrees in both the College of Business and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. The department plays a leading role in the robust teaching and research environment. For example, the Iowa Electronic Market (IEM), a real-money futures market pioneered by three economics faculty members, spawned modern prediction markets research.

The permanent faculty of the Economics Department includes 8 tenured/tenure track faculty and 6 instructional track faculty. There are approximately 230 undergraduate economics majors (~50 BBA majors in the Tippie College of Business and ~180 BA and BS majors in the College of Liberal Arts). The department is restarting its nationally ranked PhD program. The department also teaches critical classes in MBA, specialty masters and PhD programs across the college.

The University of Iowa’s status as a premier research university depends on the robust exchange of ideas. We achieve excellence through diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our ability to foster an equitable and inclusive environment for all who join the UI family will determine our collective success. To learn more, visit https://diversity.uiowa.edu/.

The University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, a Midwestern college town with modest housing costs, an excellent public school system, excellent healthcare with a world-class teaching hospital, and superior venues for the performing arts. The Iowa City-Cedar Rapids corridor has a combined population of 450,000 residents and an airport with direct major airline flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Phoenix.

How you’ll make a difference:
Tippie is a collaborative, innovative and nimble college with infinite potential; a place where you can have an immediate impact. The college and department are poised to embrace the future of higher education and research. Bring your ideas to build and integrate the department’s role in the college and university.

The Department Executive Officer (DEO) reports directly to the Senior Associate Dean of the College. The DEO is a tenured full professor charged with providing strategic and operational leadership that promotes excellence in the faculty missions of research, education and service. This charge includes working with faculty to develop the department’s vision and execute the department’s strategic plan. The DEO also provides leadership in the areas of faculty recruitment, development and retention, mentoring of junior faculty, overall quality improvement and budget management.

The DEO works collaboratively with the Dean, Senior Associate Dean, other DEOs, faculty, program directors, and staff to advance education, scholarship, and service in a culture that promotes participation, collegiality, professionalism, and excellence. The DEO assures delivery of effective curriculum, promotes research, and oversees service in a manner that meets program goals and supports the vision, mission and strategic plan of the department, college and university. The DEO also serves as an important communication link between the department and other units of the college and university.
Our next Economics DEO will build a small but high-achieving business economics department that serves students in two colleges and address the need for economic education and research in the state. Candidates should have the ability to engage the current faculty in a vision for the department’s future while attracting a small number of new faculty to enable the department to achieve that vision. We believe the right size for the department is about a dozen tenured/tenure track faculty and 4-6 instructional track faculty.

Requirements:
A Ph.D. in Economics or a related field is required. We are looking for a leader that understands the mission of the Economics Department and works with faculty and staff to promote that mission.

The successful candidate will:
• Possess a productive scholarly record that merits an appointment to Full Professor at the University of Iowa;
• Possess an outstanding record and demonstrate leadership in the three areas - research, education and service - that are cornerstones of the university and college missions;
• Possess the ability to communicate effectively with all constituents, including students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and the State;
• Be committed to supporting and enhancing diversity among students, faculty and staff;
A successful candidate must be able to:
• Recruit, develop, and retain outstanding faculty; support and promote excellence in faculty research and educational endeavors, encourage and guide mentorship of junior faculty;
• Work collaboratively and effectively with multiple stakeholders to develop the department’s vision, execute the department’s strategic plan and integrate the department’s vision, plan and goals with those of the college and the university.
• Promote the department by engaging alumni and donors to enhance departmental resources.
• Maintain an active research agenda and successfully teach classes in accordance with their contracted research and teaching loads

Qualified candidates may be considered for professorship or research chair.

The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, associational preference, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran.