Search committee formed to find new dean of the School of Education and Social Policy

Northwestern University has announced the formation of a search committee to identify the next dean of the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP).

The individual chosen will succeed David Figlio, Dean and Orrington Lunt Professor of Education and Social Policy, who will become Provost at the University of Rochester. Figlio will complete his term as dean on May 15, and Dan P. McAdams will serve as interim dean until a permanent dean is appointed.

Provost Kathleen Hagerty will charge the search committee, which includes faculty, students, staff and SESP alumni, to undertake the search to identify a slate of candidates. Emma K. Adam, the Edwina S. Tarry Professor of Human Development and Social Policy, Faculty Fellow in the Institute of Policy Research and Associate Vice President for Research in the Office for Research, will serve as chair. WittKieffer has been retained to assist the committee. 

Committee members

• Anna Chen, undergraduate student, Class of 2024, SESP and Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music
• Coleen Coleman, associate dean, SESP; and SESP alumna
• Jeannette Colyvas, associate professor of human development and social policy and learning sciences, SESP; faculty affiliate, Institute for Policy Research (IPR)
• Kirabo Jackson, Abraham Harris Professor of Education and Social Policy, SESP; faculty fellow, IPR
• Katherine A. Magnuson, Vilas Distinguished Professor of Social Work and Director, Institute for Poverty Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison; SESP alumna 
• Nichole Pinkard, associate professor of learning sciences, SESP; and SESP alumna 
• Adrian Randolph, dean, Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and professor of art history
• Kimberly Scott, assistant professor and executive director of the Master’s and Executive Programs in Learning and Organizational Change, SESP
• James P. Spillane, Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change; professor of human development and social policy and learning sciences, SESP; faculty associate, IPR
• Shirin Vossoughi, associate professor of learning sciences, SESP
• Corey Winchester, first-year Ph.D. student, learning sciences, SESP; and SESP alumnus

The committee will begin its work immediately and will engage the SESP community to obtain input on the desired attributes and experience of the dean, understand the community’s needs and collect nominations of potential candidates for the role. Members of the University community are invited to share feedback, submit questions and recommend candidates by contacting the search committee at SESPdeansearch@northwestern.edu. 

The committee will be staffed by Office of the Provost staff Lorraine Cassis, executive assistant; Roma Khanna, associate provost for strategy and policy; and Mearah Quinn-Brauner, director for strategy and policy.