College of Science Dean Search Committee 2026-27

Sent: September 18, 2026

From: Vincent J. Del Casino, Jr., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear College of Science Community,

I am pleased to announce the members of the College of Science Dean Search Committee for the 2026–27 academic year. The committee has been constituted in accordance with University Policy S16-8 following the nomination and election process.

The committee members are:

Faculty Representatives

  • Walter Adams, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
  • Ivano Aiello, Department Chair, Moss Landing Marine Labs
  • Laura Miller Conrad, Professor, Chemistry
  • Christopher John Pollett, Department Chair, Computer Science
  • Christopher Smallwood, Associate Professor, Physics & Astronomy

Staff Representative

  • Lisa Andreasen, Executive Assistant, Dean’s Office

Dean Representative

  • Mehrdad Aliasgari, Dean, College of Information, Data, and Society

Administrator/Community Representative

  • Jessica Trask, Associate Vice President for Research

Student Representative

  • Erika Ebreo, Undergraduate, Biological Sciences

I want to thank everyone who submitted nominations and participated in the election process, as well as the committee members who have agreed to take on this important responsibility.

Christopher Smallwood will serve as chair of the search committee and will work closely with the executive search firm, WittKieffer, to help bring in the best pool of candidates for the next dean.

The committee will be formally charged in the next couple of weeks and will begin its work immediately thereafter. WittKieffer will partner with the committee throughout the search process to help develop a strong and diverse candidate pool and bring the most qualified candidates to campus in early Spring 2027. Our expectation is that the committee will complete its work and make its recommendation to me by mid-Spring 2027.

There will also be opportunities in the coming weeks for faculty, staff, students, and other members of the college community to provide input into the search and the selection of the next dean.

You can stay up to date on the search, including key milestones and opportunities to participate, by visiting the Leadership Search page.

This is an important search for the College of Science and for San José State University. I appreciate the committee’s willingness to serve and look forward to working with them and with the broader college community as we identify the next dean.

Thank you, as always, for your continued work and commitment to SJSU.

Sincerely, 

Vincent J. Del Casino, Jr.

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs