Description

Washington State University (WSU), one of the nation's leading public research and land-grant universities, seeks an accomplished academic medicine leader to serve as Dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Based at WSU's health sciences campus in Spokane and supported by a statewide network of clinical education partners, the dean will join an innovative, community-based medical school entering an important new phase of its development.

The founding decade proved the model works. The next decade is about scale, sustainability, innovation, partnership, and statewide impact. The next dean will build upon a strong foundation while helping shape new models of medical education, clinical partnership, research, and healthcare delivery that prepare physicians for a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

Washington State University is the university that connects discovery, education, and service to solve the state's most pressing challenges. As the state's land-grant university and one of only two public R1 research universities in Washington, WSU serves communities across the state through five campuses, a nationally recognized Global Campus, Extension programs in every county, and partnerships with industry, healthcare systems, government, and communities. Its modern land-grant mission combines world-class research, broad educational access, statewide engagement, and practical innovation to improve lives and strengthen Washington's economy and future.

The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine was established in 2015 and welcomed its inaugural M.D. class in 2017. Today, the college includes more than 230 faculty, over 270 staff members, and more than 2,500 affiliated community faculty. Beyond the M.D. program, the college offers programs in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Speech and Hearing Sciences, Health Administration and Leadership, Medical Ethics, Graduate Medical Education, doctoral education, and Continuing Medical Education. The college operates with an annual budget of approximately $64 million and supports a growing translational research enterprise that secures nearly $25 million annually in sponsored research while maintaining more than $90 million in active research awards.

The college's M.D. program enrolls approximately 80 students each year, welcoming students from Washington and beyond who are drawn to its distinctive community-based educational model and commitment to improving health across the state. More than 250 clinical partners support education across regional medical campuses in Everett, Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver, providing students with exceptional clinical experiences while strengthening healthcare partnerships throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest.

Reporting directly to the Provost and Executive Vice President, the dean will partner closely with university leadership to advance Washington State University's strategic vision for health, research, innovation, and service. Rather than leading an isolated college, the dean will help build a highly connected academic health enterprise that creates new models of education, research, clinical partnerships, and technology-enabled care.

The next dean will guide the college from a successful start-up organization to a mature, highly connected academic health enterprise recognized for educational excellence, collaborative research, and meaningful impact on the health of Washington's communities. This leader will strengthen statewide partnerships, expand graduate medical education, support the continued growth of WSU Health, and deepen interdisciplinary collaboration across medicine, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, agriculture, veterinary medicine, data science, and other disciplines that together define the future of healthcare.

Artificial intelligence, digital health, advanced analytics, and technology-enabled care are transforming every aspect of medicine. The next dean will help position the College of Medicine at the forefront of these changes by preparing graduates to practice in this evolving environment, advancing translational research that moves discovery into practice, and building partnerships that accelerate innovation while improving patient care and health outcomes.

Strong candidates will possess an M.D., M.D./Ph.D., or international equivalent, board certification, and credentials appropriate for appointment as a full professor. They will bring distinguished accomplishments in medical education, clinical care, research, and academic leadership, along with demonstrated success building partnerships across universities, healthcare systems, industry, government, and communities. Equally important, the successful candidate will be an exceptional collaborator and organizational leader who values transparency, professionalism, accountability, and shared purpose while guiding change in a complex academic environment.

The next decade for the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine will demonstrate the full potential of a distributed, partnership-based medical school—preparing physicians for a healthcare system being transformed by artificial intelligence, digital technologies, interdisciplinary science, and community-based care delivered at scale to the people who need it.

WittKieffer is assisting Washington State University in this search. All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited.

Applications should include, as two separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile. Professional references are not requested at this time.

Application materials, confidential nominations, and inquiries should be submitted by August 19, 2026 to Jessica Herrington, Jeff Schroetlin, and Jillian Williams at: [email protected]

The anticipated compensation range for this position is between $575,000 and $650,000 annually.

Copyright ©2025 Jobelephant.com Inc. All rights reserved.

Posted by the FREE value-added recruitment advertising agency

jeid-1cdf3db6ba67054e88f2f50af9e84279