Soyeon Shim

Soyeon Shim, PhD, is the Elizabeth Holloway Schar Dean of the School of Human Ecology and the Ted Kellner Bascom Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Dr. Shim was appointed Dean in 2012, following a 22-year career at the University of Arizona. Over the past decade, she has been widely recognized for her transformative leadership in elevating the School of Human Ecology into one of the most innovative and respected schools on campus—particularly in the areas of design, innovation, and internationally recognized human ecology education and research.

At both the University of Arizona and UW–Madison, Dr. Shim has overseen remarkable institutional growth. Under her leadership at UW–Madison, student enrollment has increased by 300%, faculty and staff positions have doubled, and research funding has grown by 200%. A highly successful fundraiser, she has secured nearly $140 million in philanthropic support across both institutions, including funding for 20 endowed professorships—where none previously existed.

Dr. Shim is also a leading voice for a human-centered approach to artificial intelligence. At UW–Madison, she is helping lead a campus-wide initiative focused on developing human-centered AI fluency and competency, bringing together perspectives across disciplines to prepare students, faculty, and staff to engage thoughtfully and effectively with AI. She is also advancing a research partnership with Microsoft Copilot to explore new opportunities for research and innovation at the intersection of AI, human well-being, and human-centered design.

In recognition of her leadership and impact, Dr. Shim was named the inaugural holder of the Elizabeth Holloway Schar Deanship by the Chancellor of UW–Madison. In 2022, she was honored as one of Wisconsin’s 35 Most Influential Asian Americans.