UC Davis will continue its nationwide search for its next dean of the Graduate School of Management. Tom Smith, dean of the School of Education, will serve as interim dean until a new permanent leader is in place. 

GSM Dean Rao Unnava announced during the summer of 2025 that he would return to faculty on July 1, 2026, after a decade in the leadership role.

“I am very grateful for Rao’s many years of excellent leadership, creativity, and innovation,” Croughan said. “I am confident that GSM’s strong reputation will attract the right person to partner with our dedicated faculty and staff and support the success of our students. Tom will be a fantastic interim dean until a new leader is in place, which we hope will be in early 2027.”

Prior to joining UC Davis, Smith was a professor of public policy and education and director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Vanderbilt University. He also served for two years as interim provost and executive vice chancellor and five years as dean of the Graduate School of Education at UC Riverside. In addition to holding a Ph.D. in educational theory and policy from Pennsylvania State University, he earned a master’s degree in economics from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA. 

While Smith serves in the interim role in GSM, Michal Kurlaender, Chancellor’s Leadership Professor in the School of Education, will serve as acting dean of the School of Education starting September 15. She is the faculty director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) and Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research. Kurlaender joined UC Davis in 2004 and was a department chair from 2019 to 2022. She also served as a special advisor to the University of California Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs from 2021 to 2022. Kurlaender earned doctorate and master’s degrees in education from Harvard University and bachelor’s degrees in political science and art from UC Santa Cruz.

Information about the position is available on the UC Davis website.