University of Utah Provost Mitzi M. Montoya announced that Arnab Chakraborty has accepted an offer to serve as dean of the College of Architecture + Planning. Chakraborty, an internationally recognized researcher of land policy and strategic planning and a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), will begin his new role on July 1, 2023.

During his 16 years at UIUC, Chakraborty has held a variety of leadership appointments, including associate dean for research and faculty affairs in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, director of the Master of Urban Planning program, and visiting fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His work in the College of Fine and Applied Arts helped boost research support, faculty recruitment and retention, diversity, academic programs and student wellness. Chakraborty, who has training in both architecture and planning, researches interactions between land policy and built environment outcomes to improve housing affordability. His work has engaged communities from across the country and the globe in formulating development strategies that address climate, economic and technological uncertainties.

Chakraborty was selected after an extensive national search, which was chaired by Philip Osteen, dean of the College of Social Work, and Lisa Henry Benham, associate professor in the College of Architecture + Planning.

“I look forward to working with Dr. Chakraborty as he brings his proactive and forward-thinking leadership to the U,” Montoya said. “Dr. Chakraborty is a leader in his field, willing to engage in cross-campus initiatives and is a mentor across the ranks with a collaborative spirit that is familiar to our community.”

The College of Architecture + Planning has a legacy of inclusive success that includes the doubling of the number of its students from less than 300 to more than 700 in the last seven years. Student scholarships have increased, and more than 40% of the staff in the college are from underrepresented populations. The college is at the leading edge of transforming architectural, design and planning education.

“I was drawn to the U by the excellence of the College of Architecture + Planning,” Chakraborty said. “As a scholar of land use and development regulations, I am excited to join this vibrant campus on the Wasatch Front. I look forward to serving this college and together, working to reach new heights of impact and success.”