Introducing a new dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy

Chancellor Carol Christ and Paul Alivisatos, executive vice chancellor and provost, sent the following message to the campus community on Wednesday:

David Wilson is the new dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy.

Following a national search, we are pleased to announce that David C. Wilson has been appointed dean of the Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy, effective July 1, 2021. He joins us from the University of Delaware where he currently serves as senior associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and is a professor of political science and psychological and brain sciences.

Professor Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Western Kentucky University and a master’s of public administration and a doctoral degree in political science from Michigan State University. Prior to his 2006 appointment at the University of Delaware, he was a senior researcher with the Gallup Polling Organization in Washington, D.C., and prior to that, a policy researcher with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.

For the past eight years, Professor Wilson has served on his college’s senior leadership team overseeing the social sciences, including six academic departments and several research centers and interdisciplinary academic programs. In 2018 he helped establish and administer the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration. In his role, he has also led strategic planning initiatives to raise the profile of the social sciences, successfully recruited scholars from underrepresented groups into faculty and administrative leadership roles, increased donor giving, and created interdisciplinary programs that expand the boundaries of knowledge for faculty and students alike.

Professor Wilson is a nationally recognized scholar in the study of public opinion, racial attitudes, and policy preferences. He has a prolific publication record, a wealth of primary data collection experience, and is a sought-after presenter on public attitudes about race. His research reflects a profound concern with democratic practices and social justice and with the ways that attitudes and beliefs shape opinions about policy, political behavior, systemic issues, and public figures – for better or for worse. He teaches courses that cover race and politics, statistical analysis, and public opinion and survey research methods. You can learn more about Professor Wilson in this story on the Goldman School of Public Policy website.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the search committee for their tireless efforts in the search process, and to express our gratitude to outgoing dean Henry Brady for his many years of enthusiastic and dedicated service to GSPP. Please join us in welcoming Professor Wilson to the UC Berkeley campus and in supporting his success at the Goldman School.