Academic Search in the News:
Senior Consultant Dr. Susan Resneck Pierce recently wrote an article for Inside Higher Education entitled: What Search Consultants Do (Inside Higher Ed)
President & CEO Searches
print emailIn its over 30 year history, Academic Search has completed over 1000 searches, of these, 650 have been for the presidency.
In the vast majority of cases, Academic Search clients appoint individuals we recruited as candidates. We have been exceptionally successful in attracting competitive non-traditional candidates to searches.
The proportion of women and individuals of color selected in presidential searches served by Academic Search consistently exceed the national average.
Claremont Graduate University - President
Consultant(s): James A. Davis , Maya Ranchod Kirkhope
Claremont, CA- Professor Deborah A. Freund has been appointed the 15th president of Claremont Graduate University (CGU) by the university’s Board of Trustees. Freund will be the first woman to serve as president of CGU.
Bethel College - President
Consultant(s): James A. Davis
North Newton, KS – Perry D. White, Manitowoc, Wis., will become the 14th president of Bethel College. He and wife, Dalene White, will soon make their move to North Newton with his first day anticipated to be in mid-July.
Pasadena City College - President
Consultant(s): R. Stanton Hales
Pasadena, CA- The Pasadena Area Community College District Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Mark Rocha as superintendent/president of Pasadena City College. Dr. Rocha will begin his post on July 1, 2010.
Arizona Board of Regents - President
Consultant(s): Jessica S. Kozloff
Phoenix, AZ- On June 11, 2010, the Arizona Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve Tom Anderes appointment and contract for the position of board president, currently known as executive director.
North Dakota State University - President
Consultant(s): Garry W. Owens
Fargo, ND- The State Board of Higher Education has named Dean Bresciani, former vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University as 14th president of North Dakota State University. The Board offered a three-year contract, beginning June 15, and a salary of $300,000 per year.
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) - President and CEO
Consultant(s): Karen L. Goldstein , James H. Day
Washington, DC- After a transparent and exhaustive national search, NASFAA has selected Justin Draeger to serve as the association's next president and CEO. The presidential search committee selected and the Board of Directors unanimously ratified Mr. Draeger based on his significant and unique set of skills, experiences and qualifications.
American University of Nigeria - President
Consultant(s): Bill J. Franklin , Maya Ranchod Kirkhope
Yola, Nigeria- The Board of Trustees of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) announces the appointment of Dr. Margee M. Ensign as the third president of this innovative African university. A distinguished scholar and administrator, Dr. Ensign was appointed after a broad, thorough and highly competitive search that spanned three continents.
Peace College - President
Consultant(s): Judith B. Ward , Thomas B. Courtice
Raleigh, NC - The Peace College Board of Trustees has announced that Debra Townsley, Ph.D. has been named president of Peace College. Townsley will succeed Laura Carpenter Bingham who took office in 1998 and announced in September her plans to retire June 30.
Carleton College - President
Consultant(s): Thomas B. Courtice
Northfield, MN – Carleton College Board of Trustees has named Steven G. Poskanzer, J.D., as its next President of the College. Currently the president at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz, Poskanzer, 51, will assume his duties as Carleton’s 11th president on August 2, 2010.
Whitworth University - President
Consultant(s): R. Thomas Williamson
Spokane, WA- The Whitworth University Board of Trustees announces that Beck Taylor, Ph.D., has been appointed the university's next president. He will assume his duties July 1, succeeding Bill Robinson, who is stepping down after 17 years as president. Taylor currently serves as dean of the Brock School of Business at Samford University, in Birmingham, Ala.
Transylvania University - President
Consultant(s): Susan Resneck Pierce
Lexington, KY —Owen Williams will be the next president of Transylvania University, William T. Young Jr., chairman of Transylvania’s Board of Trustees, announced this afternoon. He will become the 25th president of the 230-year-old liberal arts college when Charles L. Shearer retires on July 31.
Northwest Florida State College - President
Consultant(s): John E. Pickelman
Niceville, FL - Wesley Wilkerson, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Northwest Florida State College, recently congratulated Dr. Ty Handy on his selection by the board to serve as the college's new president. Dr. Handy recently signed a 3-year contract with the Board and will officially begin his duties June 21.
Texas State University System - Chancellor
Consultant(s): Robert W. Lawless
Austin, TX - On Friday, March 26, 2010, the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System named Dr. Brian McCall of Plano, Texas as the sole finalist for the position of Chancellor of the seven-institution, 99-year old system, the oldest university system in Texas.
Goddard College - President
Consultant(s): R. Thomas Williamson
The Board of Trustees of Goddard College has elected Dr. Barbara Vacarr as its next president. Dr. Vacarr is currently serving as Director of Lesley University’s School of Education Ph.D. Programs in Cambridge.
The University of Findlay - President
Consultant(s): Julie E. Tea , Thomas B. Courtice
Findlay, OH- On March 25, about 300 students, faculty, staff and community members gathered in Winebrenner Theological Seminary for the announcement of the next president. When Dr. C. Richard Beckett, chair of the Board of Trustees and of the search committee, announced, “Our 17th president of The University of Findlay will be Dr. Katherine Fell,” the first of three standing ovations erupted.
Fort Lewis College - President
Consultant(s): Constantine W. Curris
Durango, CO – The Board of Trustees for Fort Lewis College today selected Dr. Dene Kay Thomas to become the first woman president to lead the college in its 99-year history.
Suffolk County Community College - President
Consultant(s): Robert E. Parilla
Selden, NY – On Tuesday, March 23, the State University of New York Board of Trustees officially approved the appointment of Dr. Shaun L. McKay as president of Suffolk County Community College (SCCC).
Buffalo State College - President
Consultant(s): Jessica S. Kozloff
Buffalo, NY- SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today announced that she will recommend the appointment of Aaron M. Podolefsky as the next president of Buffalo State College at the March 23 meeting of the SUNY Board of Trustees.
University of Alaska - President
Consultant(s): Elaine H. Hairston
Fairbanks, AK- The University of Alaska Board of Regents has offered the position of system president to Patrick K. Gamble, which he has accepted. Gamble currently is president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Railroad Corp., a position he’s held since 2001. He retired as a four-star general in 2001 after a long career with the U.S. Air Force.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville - Chancellor
Consultant(s): James P. Ferrare
Madison, WI- Dennis Shields, Acting Vice President for Student Affairs at the City College of New York - City University of New York, has been recommended as the next Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
William Paterson University - President
Consultant(s): Patricia T. van der Vorm
Wayne, NJ- Kathleen Waldron, Ph.D., the former president of Baruch College and a former senior executive at Citigroup, has been appointed the seventh president of William Paterson University in Wayne after a nationwide search.
Greensboro College - President
Consultant(s): James A. Davis
Greensboro, NC – Greensboro College today named Dr. Lawrence D. Czarda as its 18th president, capping an eight-month, nationwide search. Dr. Czarda will take office April 26
Ohio Dominican University - President
Consultant(s): Thomas B. Courtice
Columbus, OH – The Ohio Dominican University Board of Trustees has announced that Peter Cimbolic, Ph.D. will serve as the University’s next president.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - President
Consultant(s): Robert W. Lawless
Lubbock, TX- Dr. Tedd Mitchell has been named the sole finalist for the position of president of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center today (March 5) after approval by the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents on Feb. 26. State law requires that 21 days must pass before final action is taken.
Longwood University - President
Consultant(s): Jessica S. Kozloff
Farmville, VA- The Longwood University Board of Visitors has announced that Brig. Gen. Patrick Finnegan has been selected to lead Longwood University as its 25th president. Currently serving as Dean of the Academic Board at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Finnegan was the unanimous choice of the Board of Visitors during its special meeting held on campus March 2, 2010.
Marian University - President
Consultant(s): Bruce T. Alton
Fond du Lac, WI- The Marian University Board of Trustees announced today that it has appointed Steven R. DiSalvo, Ph.D., as the new president of the university, effective July 1, 2010. DiSalvo will succeed Sr. Mary Mollison, C.S.A., who has been serving as interim president since March 2009.
Texas A&M University - President
Consultant(s): Robert W. Lawless
College Station, TX- Dr. R. Bowen Loftin was formally named the 24th president of Texas A&M University today (Friday, Feb.12.) He was selected as the sole finalist for the position last month after an extensive nationwide search and had served as interim president of the flagship university for more than six months. The nine-member Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System unanimously approved Loftin’s selection during a special telephonic meeting after the state-mandated 21-day period to officially name him president of the nation’s seventh-largest university.
Ivy Tech Community College Northeast - Chancellor
Consultant(s): John B. Hicks
Fort Wayne, IN - Ivy Tech Community College announced that Dr. Jerrilee K. Mosier has been selected to serve as Chancellor for the college's Northeast Region. Mosier will begin her new role July 1.
Abilene Christian University - President
Consultant(s): Bill J. Franklin
Abilene, TX- We are pleased to announce that Dr. Phil Schubert has been chosen to serve as Abilene Christian University’s next president.The Board of Trustees' decision is the culmination of a prayerful process and a diligent, thoughtful national search which led to the consideration of a wealth of excellent prospects.
Alma College - President
Consultant(s): R. Stanton Hales
Alma, MI- Alma College Board of Trustees Chair Candace Dugan announced Feb. 5 the appointment of Dr. Jeff Abernathy, vice president and dean at Augustana College, as the 13th president of Alma College, effective July 1, 2010.
Maryville College - President
Consultant(s): Julie E. Tea , Thomas B. Courtice
Maryville, TN--The Maryville College Board of Directors has announced that Dr. William T. “Tom” Bogart, dean of academic affairs and professor of economics at York College of Pennsylvania, will be the institution's 11th president.
Bridgewater College - President
Consultant(s): James P. Ferrare
Bridgewater, VA – The Bridgewater College Board of Trustees announced January 11 in a special on-campus meeting that it has unanimously selected George Cornelius as the eighth president of the College. A seasoned leader in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, Cornelius will assume the presidency on July 1, 2010. He currently serves as Secretary of Community and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he oversees a department of approximately 350 employees and 90 state and federal programs and works closely with many of Pennsylvania’s universities, colleges, and communities.
Furman University - President
Consultant(s): Susan Resneck Pierce
Greenville, S.C.—The Furman University Board of Trustees announced Tuesday that it has unanimously approved the appointment of Rodney A. Smolla as the 11th president of the university, effective July 1, 2010.
Florida State University - President
Consultant(s): John B. Hicks
The Florida State University Board of Trustees today selected alumnus Eric J. Barron, director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, to serve as the university's 14th president.
Foothill-De Anza Community College District - Chancellor
Consultant(s): John B. Hicks
Dr. Linda M. Thor, president of Rio Salado College in Arizona, will become chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District starting Feb. 16, the Board of Trustees announced Monday night. A nationally recognized innovator in education, she will be the sixth permanent chancellor since the district’s founding in 1957.
Central College - President
Consultant(s): Thomas B. Courtice
Pella, IA — Central College announces Dr. Mark Putnam as its 21st president. Putnam will assume leadership in July 2010 following current president Dr. David Roe’s retirement in June 2010.
Montana State University - President
Consultant(s): Bill J. Franklin
Bozeman, MT - The Montana Board of Regents announced today that Waded Cruzado has accepted the offer to be Montana State University's next president. Cruzado will become MSU's 12th president. She will also be the first woman and first minority to hold the presidency in the university's history.
Greensboro College - Interim President
Consultant(s): James A. Davis
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Greensboro College’s Board of Trustees has named C. Brent DeVore, President Emeritus of Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, as its interim president.
Culver-Stockton College - President
Consultant(s): Harold M. Kolenbrander
CANTON, Mo. – Dick Valentine has been named by the Culver-Stockton Board of Trustees as the 25th president of the college effective July 1.
South Dakota Board of Regents - Executive Director and CEO
Consultant(s): Elaine H. Hairston
Sioux Falls, SD – A veteran educator and higher education leader is the new executive director and chief executive officer of the South Dakota Board of Regents. Jack R. Warner, who has served as commissioner of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education since 2002, will begin work in South Dakota July 8.
Monroe Community College - President
Consultant(s): Robert E. Parilla
Rochester, NY-The Monroe Community College Board of Trustees today named Anne M. Kress, Ph.D. the fifth president of MCC. Kress is currently provost and vice president for academic affairs at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla.
Stephens College - President
Consultant(s): Susan Resneck Pierce
Columbia, MO - Dianne Lynch, Ph.D., has been selected the 24th president of Stephens College by the College’s Board of Trustees, announced Board Chair George Ann Harding today. Dr. Lynch has served as dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y., since 2004.
Lyon College - President
Consultant(s): Bruce T. Alton
Batesville, AR - The Lyon College Board of Trustees approved Weatherman's nomination as the next president of Lyon at its spring meeting today. Weatherman served as the John D. Trimble Sr. Professor of Political Philosophy at Lyon from 1983 to 1999. He left Batesville to become vice president and dean of Erskine College in South Carolina. In 2003, he was promoted to executive vice president and dean.
LaGrange College - President
Consultant(s): Thomas B. Courtice
LaGrange, GA.—Belmont University Provost Dan McAlexander was named today as the 25th president of LaGrange College after a unanimous vote of approval by the institution’s board of trustees.
Franklin Pierce University - President
Consultant(s): R. Thomas Williamson , Thomas B. Courtice
Rindge, NH - The Chairman of the Franklin Pierce University Board of Trustees, Dr. Zeddie Bowen, announced that Dr. James Birge has been elected as the university's fourth president.
The American Association for State Colleges and Universities - President
Consultant(s): Jessica S. Kozloff
Washington, DC - Muriel A. Howard, president of Buffalo State College, State University of New York (SUNY), has been appointed president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
Episcopal Divinity School - President
Consultant(s): Patricia T. van der Vorm
Cambridge, MA - EDS is pleased to announce the appointment of Katherine Hancock Ragsdale as the school's sixth president and dean. In making this announcement, EDS trustee chair Brett Donham said, "The Search Committee presented to the Board of Trustees The Reverend Katherine Ragsdale as its unanimous recommendation for president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School."
Caldwell College - President
Consultant(s): Theodore J. Marchese
Caldwell, NJ - The Caldwell College Board of Trustees has announced the selection of Nancy H. Blattner, Ph.D. as its eighth president. Blattner, who is currently Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri, will become the first lay president in Caldwell College’s 70-year history
Harper College - President
Consultant(s): John E. Pickelman
Palatine, IL - The Harper College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Kenneth Ender as the fifth president of Harper College. Dr. Ender’s appointment is pending completion of contract negotiations and attorney review. He is expected to begin serving as president on July 1, 2009.
Delaware College of Art and Design - President
Consultant(s): Patricia T. van der Vorm
Wilmington, Del. —Stuart Baron, associate dean for faculty research, development and advancement at the College of Art and Design at Louisiana State University, has been selected as the second president of Delaware College of Art and Design.
University of the Pacific - President
Consultant(s): James P. Ferrare
Stockton, CA - Pamela Eibeck, Dean of the College of Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University, has been selected as the 24th President of University of the Pacific. She will become Pacific's first woman President and the sixth since the University moved to Stockton in 1924.
Sweet Briar College - President
Consultant(s): Susan Resneck Pierce
Sweet Briar, VA - Jo Ellen Johnson Parker has been named the new president of Sweet Briar College effective July 1, 2009. The board of directors announced its decision Feb. 6. She will succeed Elisabeth Showalter Muhlenfeld, who is retiring after 13 years as the College’s ninth president.
Defiance College - President
Consultant(s): Bruce T. Alton
Defiance, OH - Mark C. Gordon, dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a former faculty member at Columbia University, has been named president of Defiance College. He is the 18th president in the 159-year history of the College.
Kansas State University - President
Consultant(s): John B. Hicks
Manhattan, KS - Kirk H. Schulz, 45, an outstanding academic leader with experience at land grant universities and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has been selected as president of Kansas State University by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Beloit College - President
Consultant(s): James P. Ferrare
Beloit, WI - H. Scott Bierman, academic dean of Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., has been named the 11th president of the 163 year old liberal arts college in Beloit, Wis.
Occidental College - President
Consultant(s): R. Stanton Hales
Los Angeles, CA - Jonathan Veitch has been selected by the Occidental College Board of Trustees as Occidental’s 15th president. He succeeds Robert A. Skotheim, who will retire on June 30.
University of Wisconsin-River Falls - Chancellor
Consultant(s): James P. Ferrare , Jessica S. Kozloff
Madison, WI.-The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents today formally appointed new chancellors at UW-Green Bay and UW-River Falls, approving all terms of their employment. Dean Van Galen was appointed as the chancellor of UW-River Falls. Both chancellors will take office on June 1.
The College of Idaho - President
Consultant(s): James P. Ferrare
Caldwell, ID - The College of Idaho announced that Marvin Henberg, former interim president at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., will become The C of I’s 12th president at a news conference today.
Northern State University - President
Consultant(s): Elaine H. Hairston
Aberdeen, SD - James M. Smith, vice president for economic development at Bowling Green State University, will become the 16th president of Northern State University, the South Dakota Board of Regents announced Wednesday.
Otterbein College - President
Consultant(s): Thomas B. Courtice
Westerville, OH - Otterbein College is proud to announce that Dr. Kathy A. Krendl, Executive Vice President and Provost of Ohio University, has agreed to become the College's 20th president. Dr. Krendl will be the first woman to lead Otterbein, a school with a rich history of inclusiveness.
Heidelberg University - President
Consultant(s): Susan Resneck Pierce
Tiffin, OH - Dr. Robert H. Huntington, who will become Heidelberg’s next president in July, will bring a rich blend of higher education and corporate experience to the job. The college’s Board of Trustees announced its appointment of Huntington today (Dec. 3) following a nationwide search.
St. Martin's University - President
Consultant(s): Maya Ranchod Kirkhope
Lacey, WA - Ken F. Parsons, chairman of the board of trustees of Saint Martin’s University announced today that Roy F. Heynderickx, Ph.D., will be the University’s new president. Heynderickx currently serves as the vice president for finance and administration at the University of San Diego and will assume his duties as Saint Martin’s tenth president on January 1, 2009.
Austin College - President
Consultant(s): Thomas B. Courtice
Sherman, TX - Dr. Marjorie Hass, provost of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, has been selected to serve as the fifteenth president of Austin College. She will begin her duties on July 1, 2009.
Lexington Theological Seminary - President
Consultant(s): Patricia T. van der Vorm
Lexington, KY- A 1965 alumnus of Lexington Theological Seminary with a proven track record as a church administrator and fund-raiser has been tapped as the Seminary’s sixteenth president. Dr. James P. (Jim) Johnson, formerly of Indianapolis, succeeded R. Robert Cueni as president of the Seminary on August 19.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville - President
Consultant(s): Robert W. Lawless
College Station, TX - The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has selected Dr. Steven H. Tallant as the sole finalist to become the 19th president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Texas Tech University - President
Consultant(s): Robert W. Lawless
Lubbock, TX- Guy Bailey has been named the sole finalist for the position of president of Texas Tech University after a meeting of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents on July 2. Bailey currently is chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), a position he has held since Jan. 1, 2006, and one that is equivalent to president at Texas universities.
South Carolina State University - President
Consultant(s): Frank G. Pogue
Orangeburg, SC- The SC State University Board of Trustees has announced on June 6, 2008 that Dr. George E. Cooper has unanimously been selected to be SC State’s 10th President. Dr. Cooper will begin his duties on July 16, 2008.