Daryl Maeda selected as dean of UW College of Arts & Sciences

University of Washington Provost Tricia R. Serio announced that Daryl Maeda will serve as the next Katherine and John Simpson Endowed Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, effective July 13.

Maeda also was appointed a professor of American Ethnic Studies. He succeeds Dianne Harris, who will complete her service this year. 

Maeda has previously served as the dean of the University of Colorado Boulder College of Arts and Sciences, where he also served as a professor of Ethnic Studies. He is an interdisciplinary cultural historian and is a nationally recognized scholar in Asian American studies and comparative ethnic studies. 

“Dr. Maeda brings a wealth of experience to all aspects of the role of Katherine and John Simpson Endowed Dean for the College of Arts & Sciences, including a deep commitment to shared governance,” Serio said. “Throughout the selection process, Dr. Maeda repeatedly elevated the broad strengths of the College of Arts & Sciences, and the students, staff, and faculty who define them, as foundational to leading the path forward through a framework of opportunity for all.”

Since joining CU Boulder as an assistant professor in 2005, Maeda has served as chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies, associate dean for student success in the College of Arts and Sciences, and dean and vice provost of undergraduate education. Maeda served as interim dean of the CU Boulder College of Arts and Sciences since June 2024, until he was appointed dean earlier this year. He is returning to the UW, where he was an acting assistant professor in the Department of History from 2001 to 2002.

“I am deeply honored to serve the College of Arts & Sciences and grateful for the opportunity to partner with its exceptional faculty, students, and staff,” Maeda said. “Together, we will build on the College’s distinguished tradition of discovery, creativity, and public impact while advancing an inclusive and inspiring vision for the future.”

With approximately 15,000 undergraduates in 49 majors and more than 2,000 graduate students in 36 doctoral programs and 35 master’s programs, the College of Arts and Sciences at CU Boulder has 1,300 faculty and 400 staff. As dean, Maeda managed an annual budget of more than $250 million and led a collaborative process that created the college’s budget allocation model. Under his leadership, the college established new records for first-year retention and six-year graduate rates and set a record for highest annual fundraising in the college’s history. 

Maeda has published two books and numerous articles and book chapters on Asian American activism in the 1960s and 1970s. His most recent book, a cultural history of the iconic martial artist and actor — and former UW student — Bruce Lee, was published in 2022.  

Maeda earned his doctoral and master’s degrees in American culture from the University of Michigan. He also holds a master’s in ethnic studies from San Francisco State University and a bachelor’s in mathematics from Harvey Mudd College.