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UW News

Mario L. Barnes has been named the next Toni Rembe Dean of the ������Ƶ, President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Jerry Baldasty announced today. His appointment, set to begin July 5, 2018, is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents.

Barnes currently is professor and senior associate dean for academic affairs at UC Irvine School of Law, where he is recognized nationally for his research on the legal and social implications of race and gender, primarily in the areas of employment, education, criminal and military law. Barnes teaches courses in criminal justice, constitutional law, critical theories and national security law.

Given his expertise in and commitment to diversity and equity, “President Cauce and I are very pleased that Professor Barnes has agreed to lead the UW School of Law,” Baldasty said.

Prior to his academic career, Barnes spent 12 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, including service as a prosecutor, defense counsel, special assistant U.S. attorney, and on the commission that investigated the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. His reserve assignments included service with the Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command in San Diego, the Navy Inspector General’s Office in Washington, D.C., and U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa. He retired from the Navy in 2013, after 23 years of combined active and reserve service.

Having watched the arc of his impressive academic career, I have the utmost confidence in Mario's leadership. Mario brings a well-earned national reputation for academic excellence, strong administrative skills and an abiding commitment to the rule of law.

Kellye Y. Testy, Former Toni Rembe Dean

“As a person whose life has been transformed by the opportunities afforded by public research universities, I am excited and honored to be joining the UW community. I was immediately attracted to the law school’s access mission, impeccable academic programs, and deep commitments to public service, innovation, and inclusive excellence,” Barnes said. “I look forward to working with campus leadership and law school faculty, staff, students, and alumni to chart a way forward that ensures the institution will continue to produce practice-ready graduates who will have a local, national and global impact.”

Barnes earned both his bachelor’s degree in psychology and his juris doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed his master of laws at the University of Wisconsin. Before joining UCI in 2009, he was a faculty member at the University of Miami School of Law, where he was twice selected as Outstanding Law Professor.