More than a decade ago, David Van Slyke joined the faculty of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. On Jun 10, 2016, Syracuse Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele G. Wheatly announced that he will become their next Dean.

Dr. Van Slyke holds the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy. His academic focus has been on public and nonprofit management, government contracting, public-private partnerships, policy implementation and strategic management.

He succeeds James Steinberg who has served as dean of the Maxwell School since 2011. Dr. Steinberg will remain at Syracuse and will continue to teach in the Maxwell School in his role as University Professor of social science, international affairs and law.

Dr. Van Slyke is a director and fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He is a two-time recipient of the Birkhead-Burkhead Professorship for Teaching Excellence Award, winner of the 2007 Beryl Radin Award for Best Article published in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus in Public Administration and Policy at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. His most recent book Complex Contracting: Government Purchasing in the Wake of the U.S. Coast Guard's Deepwater Program is the recipient of the American Society for Public Administration Section on Research Best Book Award for 2014 and honorable mention for the Public and Nonprofit Section of the Academy of Management best book award for 2016.

He is a co-editor of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and the Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation. He serves on the editorial boards of several top-ranked public affairs journals and is active in his professional and local community. He is actively engaged in the work of the Maxwell School’s Executive Education program and works extensively with senior leaders in government, nonprofit and business organizations in China, India, Peru, Singapore, Thailand and many other countries. Dr. Van Slyke has provided expert guidance to the Office of Management and Budget, the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the World Bank. Prior to becoming an academic, he worked in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

He earned a Ph.D. in public administration and policy from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, State University of New York.