Funk Associates Leading Searches for College of Charleston and University of Houston

October 9, 2024 – Funk Associates has been retained by College of Charleston to lead in its search for a founding dean of the School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics. Willie Funk is leading the assignment. Separately, Funk Associates was selected by University of Houston to lead in its search for new dean of its prestigious C. T. Bauer College of Business. Bill Funk is leading the search.

As a comprehensive university, the College of Charleston continues to invest in its portfolio of STEM and technology-oriented programs with the newly formed School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics. The new school leverages the strength of two mature departments and several new engineering programs to enhance STEM opportunities for students and faculty, and serves a growing need in the state’s economy. The founding dean will have the opportunity to drive innovation of STEM education on this historic campus.

The dean will report directly to the provost, serve as the chief academic officer for the school and guide the school’s efforts in academic curriculum development, faculty and staff development, research and scholarly activity, external fundraising and the building of partnerships with the industry community and alumni. The College of Charleston seeks an innovative leader with strong leadership skills and a demonstrated commitment to establishing collaborative relationships.

The dean is expected to foster high-quality education and innovative scholarship and enhance the university’s scholarly mission, including facilitating increased industry partnership and sponsored research, according to Funk Associates. The ideal candidate should have an earned terminal degree in an engineering or related field, and should demonstrate evidence of scholarly, professional, and creative achievement to merit tenure.

T. Bauer College of Business Search

As lead administrator of Bauer College, the dean will partner with university leadership and engage students, faculty, staff, alums, and other key constituents to continue the college’s trajectory of excellence in undergraduate and graduate business education, research, and service. Funk Associates notes that the dean will also work closely with community partners and business leaders to enhance career development opportunities for students and expand program support.

Ideal candidates must have a demonstrated record of leadership in higher education, and the skills required to oversee a large and complex college. The person should have excellent communication skills, the ability to work effectively with others to build meaningful relationships across multiple constituencies. Candidates should have a terminal degree and academic credentials that merit appointment with tenure at the rank of professor in one of the College’s departments.

The C.T. Bauer College of Business is an internationally renowned business school, and one of the largest degree-granting colleges in the University of Houston with approximately 8,000 students across five academic units: Accountancy & taxation, decision & information sciences, finance, management & leadership, and marketing & entrepreneurship. The Bauer College is also home to several prestigious centers of excellence in Investment Management, Energy, Sales, Real Estate, and Entrepreneurship.

Related: Funk Associates Leading Dean Search for the University of South Alabama’s College of Engineering

Funk Associates is an executive search firm specializing in higher education executive recruitment. The firm has recruited chancellors/presidents for two-thirds of all public AAU universities. The firm has also recruited presidents or chancellors to more than one-half of U.S. News & World Report’s recently published “Top 30 National Universities.” Over time, it has conducted more than 425 searches for college and university presidents and chancellors as well as an even greater number of provosts, deans, and various vice presidents.


Funk Associates Initiates Podcast Series “Voices of Leadership”
Funk Associates announced the premier of its podcast series, “Voices of Leadership”. The podcasts are intended to showcase important leaders in higher education discussing contemporary topics. Dr. Gordon Gee, president of West Virginia University, will kick-off the series, with Dr. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, and Dr. Mung Chiang, president of Purdue University following consecutively at one week intervals. Additional thought-leaders will be scheduled going forward. Listeners are invited to tune into the series on the firm’s new website (www.funkassociates.com) or on the Spotify and Apple podcast platforms. The series is hosted by Bill and Willie Funk. In addition to the podcast series, the firm is announcing its new offering in the recruitment of intercollegiate coaches and athletic directors, and introducing a new website format.


The firm has been recognized by the Women’s Network of the American Council on Education (ACE) for its work in recruiting women and minorities to senior levels of higher education. Notably, the search firm has broken the color and/or gender line in president searches at more than 40 institutions around the country, making in one of the most highly sought after search firms across the sector.

William “Bill” Funk, founder and president, is a widely respected search consultant serving higher education. He has been called the “guru of higher education recruiting” by The Chronicle of Higher Education and is listed as one of the 200 best executive recruiters in the world in The Global 200 Executive Recruiters: An Essential Guide to the Best Recruiters in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America (Jossey-Bass, Inc.). Prior to founding his own firm 16 years ago, Mr. Funk was the national practice leader of the education practice and office managing director of the Dallas office for Korn Ferry International for more than a decade.

Willie Funk has an extensive background recruiting a lengthy list of presidents, provosts and deans and has recently completed searches at Clemson University, University of California – Santa Cruz, University of South Carolina, TCU, Old Dominion University, College of Charleston, University of Kansas, and Radford University, among many others.

Related: Funk Associates Assists Purdue for Life Foundation with CEO Search

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media

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