Dean Search

Three finalists have been invited to visit campus as part of the search for the next dean of the School of Law at the University of North Dakota.

Faculty, staff and students of the School of Law are strongly encouraged to participate in the interview process. The campus and broader community are also invited to attend the candidate Open Forums.

Candidate Interviews and Open Forums

Dates and times for candidate interviews and Open Forums are listed below. Each Open Forum will include a 10–15 minute presentation by the candidate, followed by a question-and-answer session with attendees.

All participants will be asked to complete a feedback survey for each finalist. Your perspectives and input are an important part of this search process, and we appreciate your participation.

Del Crandall - March 22-24, 2026

Darse E. "Del" Crandall, Jr. – Vice Admiral (Retired), Judge Advocate General’s Corps, United States Navy

Del Crandall is a native of Elgin, Illinois. He attended Northwestern University on a Naval ROTC scholarship receiving a B.A. in Economics and a Navy commission.

Del’s first assignment was on USS Lockwood (FF 1064) in Japan, where he earned his surface warfare officer qualification. After selection for the Navy’s funded law program, he attended Georgetown University. In 1992 he graduated, cum laude, and became a member of the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.  In 1999, he earned an LL.M. in International Law from George Washington University, with highest honors. He is a member of the State Bar of Virginia.

As a JAG, Del completed assignments in Washington DC, Florida, Japan, England, Italy, and Germany.  After serving as a defense attorney and prosecutor, he spent most of his career as a Staff Judge Advocate advising commanders on national security law, international law, military justice matters, and administrative law.  He also served on an aircraft carrier, USS Independence (CV 62); as the Commanding Officer of a Navy legal unit; and at the White House as a deputy legal advisor to the National Security Council staff.

He served nine years as an admiral.  First as Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and next as the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy.  In his final tour, he was the 45th Judge Advocate General of the Navy.  As the JAG, he was the principal military legal counsel to both the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations.  He also led the 2,700 uniformed attorneys, enlisted paralegals, and civilian employees of the worldwide Navy JAG community.  

Del met his wife, Barbara, at Northwestern.  They have three adult sons, a Welsh Terrier, and a cat.

Visit Schedule

Malik Edwards - March 24-26, 2026

Dr. Malik Chaka Edwards is the Associate Dean for Special Projects and John D. Fassett Professor of Law at North Carolina Central School of Law. He has also served as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Interim Dean. In the roles Dr. Edwards has fostered collaborations across NCCU’s campus and among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) more broadly. He has been successful in gaining extramural funding to support NCCU School of Law’s pipeline efforts. As principal investigator, he helped NCCU law to become the first HBCU to receive a Law School Admission Council PLUS Grant. Dr. Edwards has collaborated with units across the campus on Title III and HBCU UP Grants.

He is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work explores the use of social science to understand racial disparities and to develop remedies to address these disparities. His scholarship has included law review articles, peer-reviewed journals, and book chapters that explore the use of social science evidence in equity contexts. Dr. Edwards connects his scholarship to his teaching of Constitutional Law, Property, Administrative Law, and Education Law.

Dr. Edwards believes in the law’s transformative effects on communities and its role in a well-functioning democracy. For this reason, he is committed to increasing access to the legal profession for traditionally underserved communities and insuring access to legal services for all communities.

Visit Schedule

Brett Venhuizen - March 29-31, 2026

Brett Venhuizen is a Professor of Aviation and the Chair of the Aviation Department at the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota.  As an experienced academic administrator, Professor Venhuizen leads a department with more 2,300 students, several undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and fifty-seven faculty and instructional staff members.  He also has responsibility for the department’s operating budget and provides oversight of the department’s research endeavors, most of which are externally funded. Brett has served as department chair for nearly eight years, and prior to that served as the associate department chair for three years.  Professor Venhuizen is a collaborative results-oriented leader who strongly values shared governance.

Professor Venhuizen obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2000.  He was admitted to the South Dakota State Bar that same year, and has also been a licensed member of the North Dakota Bar since 2002.  In addition to his academic duties, Brett has maintained a law practice representing pilots involved with FAA enforcement actions and representing clients in aircraft sales, leasing, and operating agreement matters.  In 2011 he joined his wife’s law firm on a part-time basis to assist in managing the firm’s operations.  Brett currently serves as chair of the Disciplinary Board of the North Dakota Supreme Court.

An experienced airline transport rated pilot and flight instructor; Brett enjoys flying the Cirrus SR-22 airplane that he co-owns.

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Dean of the School of Law Position

The University of North Dakota is seeking candidates for the position of Dean of the School of Law. Reporting directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean is the leader of the state’s only law school. The Dean will provide leadership and facilitate an environment for accomplishing strategic goals, as well as aligning the functioning of the School of Law with UND’s broader academic integrity and strategic planning: UND LEADS.

The dean is responsible, in cooperation with the Provost, for the academic and administrative planning; budgeting; administration and implementation of school and university policies; and fundraising and external relations. The Dean, in partnership with the faculty, is responsible for academic program development and review; faculty and staff recruitment; development and evaluation of faculty; and student relations.

The anticipated stating date of the new Dean will be July 1, 2026, or as soon as reasonable thereafter.

To find out more about this exciting opportunity, please view the position profile:

Position Profile

Search Committee and Timeline

The search committee for the Dean of the School of Law will be chaired by Maridee Shogren, Dean, College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, and will be assisted by Academic Search, a prominent executive search firm that specializes in higher education placements. 

Committee & Timeline