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Proposed additions leave out undergrad

Regents board today will consider 7 new committee members

Diane Heldt

The Gazette

January 23, 2007

[Note: This material is copyright by The Gazette, 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 Gazette.]


  IOWA CITY — The head of the University of Iowa presidential search recommends a 13-member committee with one UI graduate student, but no undergraduates or regents. Two regents said Monday they were disappointed an undergraduate is not among the names the state Board of Regents will consider for approval today. The board will meet by telephone at 4 p.m. to consider seven more committee members, to join six in place to lead the search for a successor to David Skorton, who left the UI in June for Cornell University’s presidency.

  UI College of Dentistry Dean David Johnsen, the search chairman, recommended: Elizabeth Chrischilles, professor of epidemiology; Sarah England, associate professor of physiology and biophysics; Ed Folsom, professor of English; Gene Parkin, professor of civil-environmental engineering; Cheryl Reardon, assistant to the dean/vice president for research; Jarjisu Sa-Aadu, professor of finance; Sarah Vigmostad, graduate student in biomedical engineering.

  Regent Jenny Connolly of Cedar Falls, a University of Northern Iowa graduate student, said she will suggest today that a UI undergraduate be added to the list.

  ‘‘I think the undergraduate audience is very different from the graduate student audience,’’ she said.

  Regent Bob Downer of Iowa City said he also was disappointed. ‘‘It continues to be my feeling there should be both an undergraduate and a graduate or professional student on the committee,’’ he said.

  Downer said he had no problem appointing a committee with no regent.

  ‘‘Very successful searches were done without regents previously and I have no reason to believe that won’t be the outcome here,’’ he said.

  Regents President Michael Gartner of Des Moines said the list looked fine. ‘‘I said to the dean, ‘Do what you think is best,’’’ Gartner said.

  Johnsen was out of town and could not be reached for comment. The number of qualified nominees for the committee far exceeded the spots, he said in information distributed to the regents.

  Johnsen has said he hopes a president is chosen by July 1.

  Already on the committee are: Jonathan Carlson, professor of law; Lee Anna Clark, professor of psychology; Leonard Hadley, retired chairman and CEO of Maytag Corp. and a UI graduate; Linda Maxson, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean; Paul Rothman, professor and department executive officer, Department of Internal Medicine in the Carver College of Medicine.

  The regents appointed Johnsen on Dec. 18 to lead the search. An initial search stalled Nov. 17 when the regents rejected four presidential candidates and disbanded a committee recommending them, leading to votes of no confidence by UI faculty, staff and student groups.