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UI president search group finalized

First meeting likely to be Friday

Brian Morelli

Iowa City Press-Citizen

January 24, 2007

[Note: This material is copyright by the Press-Citizen, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of the Iowa City Press-Citizen.]



Despite concerns from students, the Iowa state Board of Regents approved the final seven members of the second University of Iowa presidential search committee Tuesday.

While there also are no regents on the committee, the lack of an undergraduate student disappointed several regents and UI students, but the groups resolved to move forward with the 13-member committee.

"It'll be fine. I know Sarah still remembers what it is like to be an undergrad," said UI student government vice president Addison Stark of the lone student representative, Sarah Vigmostad, a graduate student in biomedical engineering.

In addition to Vigmostad, new appointees include Jarjisu Sa-Aadu, finance professor; Cheryl Reardon, assistant to the dean/vice president for research; Gene Parkin, civil-environmental engineering professor; Ed Folsom, English professor; Sarah England, associate professor of physiology and biophysics, and Elizabeth Chrischilles, epidemiology professor.

Oskaloosa Regent Mary Ellen Becker said all segments couldn't be represented on a small committee, but the appointees will be reaching out to multiple groups.

"For many groups, there is no way to have a workable committee with everyone," Becker said.

The second search committee likely will hold its first meeting Friday, said committee chairman and College of Dentistry Dean David Johnsen.

Johnsen said the first step will be to discuss process and procedure. He plans to visit with groups across campus and seek their priorities for attracting a president and also top qualities needed the candidates.

Johnsen has penciled July 1 as an end date for the second search. Former UI President David Skorton announced a year ago he was taking over as president of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

The second search picks up after a turbulent seven-month, $216,441 initial search ended Nov. 17 when six regents voted down four finalists and disbanded the initial 19-member search committee.

The second search started with the naming of Johnsen as chairman Dec. 18. Five initial members were named Jan. 11, including Linda Maxson, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Paul Rothman, internal medicine professor; Lee Anna Clark, psychology professor; Jonathan Carlson, law professor; and Leonard Hadley, retired Maytag executive and Earthpark board member.