Woodard Appointed Dean of External Programs and Partnerships

September 10, 2021

Dr. C. Jason Woodard has been appointed the inaugural Dean of External Programs and Partnerships at Olin College of Engineering.

In this new role at Olin, Woodard will lead a team dedicated to developing new academic partnerships, supporting industry and non-profit collaborations, expanding experiential opportunities in the curriculum, and enhancing alumni engagement. These initiatives will integrate with Olin’s existing academic programs and align with its transformative mission

“I am delighted to welcome Jason to this role,” said Mark Somerville, Olin Provost and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics. “We anticipate the engagements facilitated by the External Programs and Partnerships team will create compelling educational opportunities for Olin students and strong developmental opportunities for staff and faculty while contributing to the long-term financial sustainability of the College.”

Woodard’s appointment comes at an exciting time for the College as Olin begins to pursue a new strategic vision and makes several changes to its organizational structure. 

Dr. C. Jason Woodard, Dean of External Programs and Partnerships
Dr. C. Jason Woodard, Dean of External Programs and Partnerships.

The new Office of External Programs and Partnerships is designed to enable cross-functional teams of faculty and staff to develop and execute programs that collectively exhibit three key properties: alignment with the mission and values of the College, openness to a diverse range of participants and perspectives, and scalability to achieve meaningful impact in a sustainable way.

“If we as an institution are successful in implementing this structure, we will cultivate a vibrant ecosystem of partners who engage with Olin in a variety of ways, and our externally facing activities will grow to become fully complementary to our core undergraduate program, with a high degree of curricular integration and the extensive involvement of both current students and alumni,” said Woodard. “I think that’s a hugely exciting challenge, and I’m humbled by the opportunity to work with an outstanding set of colleagues to advance Olin’s strategic vision.”

Woodard arrived at Olin in 2015 as an associate professor of engineering and entrepreneurship. For the past two years, his role has expanded to include associate dean, with a focus on external engagement.

Prior to Olin, Woodard served as an assistant professor at the School of Information Systems at Singapore Management University from 2006 to 2015. Before his academic career, Woodard worked for IBM and AT&T. Woodard earned a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Information, Technology and Management from Harvard University.