Following more than 33 years of exemplary dedication to UC San Diego, Dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education John Moore is retiring from UC San Diego at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.
Before assuming the role of Dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) in 2018, Moore served as Interim Dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education and provost of John Muir College. Moore has also been a UC San Diego faculty member in the Department of Linguistics since 1992. He received his Ph.D. in Linguistics in 1991 from UC Santa Cruz and is a highly regarded scholar in theoretical syntax and a gifted musician, widely known as an accomplished flamenco guitarist.
His career at UC San Diego has been one of many achievements. Moore has a demonstrated history of commitment to undergraduate education and enhancing students’ educational experience. During his tenure, the university saw a measurable increase in the undergraduate academic experience as reflected in the UC Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES), encompassing overall undergraduate student satisfaction at UC San Diego.
He also played a key leadership role in the establishment of Seventh and Eighth Colleges, including the design of their novel interdisciplinary curricula. Moore is a leader in curriculum innovation and reform and has led the expansion of the scope and courses offered to undergraduates. He was also pivotal in the development of Holistic Teaching Evaluations as the primary instrument to assess teaching effectiveness. Moore's data-driven assessments and decision-making have made significant impacts, including guiding our campus through the stringent and lengthy WSCUC review process culminating in the maximum-possible 10-year reaffirmation of reaccreditation in 2020 and a successful mid-cycle review in 2025.
We are grateful for Dean Moore’s leadership and expertise in this role. His contributions will be felt for years to come, and he will be greatly missed. Please join us in expressing our deepest appreciation for Dean Moore’s leadership and dedication — and in wishing him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.
An announcement regarding the search for the next Dean of DUE will be forthcoming.
