Daniel L. Clay has been named the next dean of the University of Iowa College of Education.

Clay is dean of the University of Missouri College of Education, a role he has held since 2010.

Clay, 48, is a nationally recognized scholar and fellow of the American Educational Research Association and the American Psychological Association. Clay has authored the award-winning book, Helping Schoolchildren with Chronic Health Conditions: A Practical Guide. He also is a successful entrepreneur involved in business startups inside and outside education.

Clay holds numerous administrative and leadership positions, including serving on the Missouri Innovation Center board of directors; Chancellor’s Looking Forward 200 Steering Committee; College of St. Scholastica board of trustees; Thompson Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities board of directors; Chancellor’s Budget Allocation Advisory Committee; and MU Strategic Operating Plan Committee.

He will start at UI on July 1, 2016, and will succeed Nicholas Colangelo, who has served as dean since 2012. Clay will be the 17th dean of the college. His salary will be $305,000.

“Dr. Clay brings to the UI a remarkable record of success as a dean,” says P. Barry Butler, UI executive vice president and provost, who made the appointment, subject to approval by the Iowa Board of Regents. “One measure of that success is how he has been able to advance his current college’s national reputation. He also brings an entrepreneurial perspective that I think is really going to serve our College of Education well in the coming years.”

Debora Liddell, professor and departmental executive officer of educational policy and leadership studies, and UI College of Engineering Dean Alec Scranton co-chaired the search.

Clay received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the College of Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, his Master of Arts in educational and counseling psychology from the University of Missouri, and his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri. He also received a higher education administration certificate through the Management Development Program at Harvard University and his MBA from the University of Missouri Trulaske College of Business.

Clay is familiar with the UI, having served as a tenure-track faculty member from 1997 to 2006 in the UI College of Education’s counseling psychology program.

“My wife, Kelly, and I moved to Iowa City right after we married and our three sons were born there,” Clay says. “This is a unique opportunity to return to a place that is special to both of us. My new role will enable me to expand my academic entrepreneurship experience and vision not only for the college but campuswide.”

Clay said he is proud of the numerous accomplishments during his tenure as dean, which include:

• Implementing a systematic and comprehensive continuous improvement model through application of Baldrige principles, which focus on organizational performance excellence.
• Creating and deploying a strategic plan, the first of its kind in the history of the college, which was founded in 1867–68.
• U.S. News & World Report rankings increased 15 spots in the last year to No. 40, which places it among the top 30 public colleges of education and the top 8 percent nationally.
• Obtaining approval for a new building, which is now on the campus master plan.
• Significantly increasing the commercialization of intellectual property and technology transfer in the college.
• Initiating several new academic programs, including online degree programs and the Personal Transformational Pathways program.