Richard Harland is stepping down as dean of UC Berkeley's Division of Biological Sciences on June 30, 2027, wrapping up a planned three-year term focused on strengthening the division's research infrastructure and faculty pipeline.
During his tenure, Harland has prioritized three interconnected goals: deepening partnerships with campus and community organizations, modernizing aging lab facilities, and streamlining the administrative structures that support 600+ researchers and students. The strategy reflects a quiet reality in academic science — excellence requires both breakthrough ideas and the unglamorous work of keeping the machinery running.
One of his most visible investments has been undergraduate research. Harland championed philanthropic funding to expand hands-on opportunities for undergraduates across the division, giving them mentorship, lab training, and the kind of early exposure that often shapes career trajectories. For a student considering whether to pursue graduate science, that difference between watching from a lecture hall and actually pipetting compounds matters enormously.
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Start Your News DetoxThe division has also seen rapid growth in neuroscience, with faculty recruitment and fundraising efforts accelerating under Harland's leadership. Simultaneously, he's lifted up research initiatives spanning genome engineering, drug discovery, cancer immunology, and global health — the kinds of ambitious, cross-disciplinary problems that increasingly define modern biology.
What's next
UC Berkeley will launch the search for Harland's successor this spring, aiming for a July 2027 start date. Until then, Harland plans to keep pushing on operational efficiency, expanding undergraduate research opportunities, and securing the financial sustainability that allows long-term vision to survive budget cycles.
The transition reflects a broader pattern in research universities: the best deans often leave on schedule rather than overstaying, giving institutions time to thoughtfully recruit fresh leadership. For Berkeley's biologists, the real test will be whether the infrastructure Harland built — the revitalized facilities, the fundraising relationships, the undergraduate pipeline — sustains momentum through the handoff.
