Jason Valdry Named Assistant Dean, Claire Trevor School of the Arts

Dean Stephen Barker has named Jason Valdry the next assistant dean for the Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA).

The assistant dean is responsible for the entire scope of planning, operations, and resource management for the School, involving its administrative, instructional, and research functions. In his new role, Valdry will serve as the chief of staff responsible for overseeing employees in the Departments of Dance, Drama, Music and Art, and the School’s production and administration units. He will conduct extensive planning for all operational, resource and program needs, and oversee technology support operations for administrative and instructional computing. Valdry will work directly with Dean Barker to define and prioritize specific needs related to the School’s academic mission and develop objectives and strategies to meet those needs.

“Jason Valdry has long been a vital member of the CTSA management team, having devoted over two decades to our technological development,” says Dean Barker. “I’m delighted that he’s moving to this central role: the assistant dean works closely with me across the entire spectrum of School management issues. He adds a wonderful new voice to the CTSA management team, at the highest level. With his voice at the table, I’m confident that even in difficult times we will rise to new heights. Welcome, Jason.”

Valdry is a UC Irvine alumnus and holds both a B.S. in computer science from the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science and an M.B.A. from the Paul Merage School of Business, focusing on operations and strategy. He joined UC Irvine in 1998, and since 2004, has served as the director of technology for Claire Trevor School of the Arts. In his role, Valdry oversaw web servers, databases, technical support, the multimedia library and provided research support to faculty and students. He has served as the interim assistant dean since July 1 of this year. 

Among many of his volunteer roles, Valdry served as Chair of the UC Irvine Staff Assembly and as a senior delegate for the Council of University of California Staff Assemblies. He participated in a campus budget committee and a workgroup on strategic planning to help tackle local challenges. Valdry served on the building advisory committee to construct the Contemporary Arts Center, the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Staff, as a liaison for all academic units to the Office of Information Technology (OIT), and the search committee for Chancellor Gillman. He most recently served as the Staff Advisor to the Board of Regents for the UC system.

In his spare time, Valdry is an avid cyclist and enjoys riding to and from the office.

Valdry succeeds Deborah Stansbury Sunday, who retired on June 30, 2020.