In a press release published Monday, the University of Notre Dame announced Santiago Schnell, the dean of the College of Science, will leave his position at the end of June and accept a new post as provost at Dartmouth College, serving as that institution’s chief academic and budget officer. Schnell will succeed outgoing provost David Kotz at Dartmouth, who was appointed to the position in 2022.
Schnell, a well-known campus figure often seen sporting his signature bow-tie, became dean of the College of Science in 2021. Prior to that, the dean’s position was held by Mary Galvin, who stepped down due to health reasons.
The University has yet to select an interim dean for the College for the 2025-26 academic year. According to the press release, a search committee will lead an international search for a new dean in collaboration with executive search firm Isaacson, Miller, a Boston-based organization that has also recruited leaders for Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University and Stanford University.
In his four-year tenure, Schnell helped raise over $100 million for the College of Science, built a partnership with the University of Oxford to train doctoral students in environmental science and bioscience, established a new postdoctoral fellowship program to attract new scientists to Notre Dame, began the College’s annual Christmas Lecture series and established the professorship for the public understanding of science, the first of its kind in the United States. In addition to his position as dean, Schnell held concurrent appointments as professor of biological sciences and professor of applied and computational mathematics and statistics.
In the press release, provost John McGreevy voiced his appreciation for Schnell’s contributions to the University.
“This news is bittersweet,” McGreevy said. “While we heartily congratulate Santiago on being selected as the next provost at Dartmouth, we are also sorry to see him go. He has been a superb colleague and collaborator, a visionary leader for the College of Science and a true champion for advancing Notre Dame and its mission as the leading global Catholic research university. We thank him for his service and wish him every success in his new role.”
Schnell expressed his affection for Notre Dame in the press release.
“Our work in the College of Science has been animated by a simple but profound ideal: ‘Spes in Caelis, Pes in Terris’ — Hope in Heaven, Feet on Earth,” Schnell said. “It has been a privilege to imagine boldly, act humbly and pursue science in service of society and discovery. Though I step away from the Dome, my heart will forever love thee, Notre Dame.”
