Second UW Presidential Search Committee Narrows List of Candidates

The second committee involved in the search for a new University of Wyoming president has narrowed the list of semifinalists and will now begin the process of conducting in-depth background and reference checks.

Following the completion of that vetting process, the committee expects to deliver a slate of finalists to the UW Board of Trustees the first week of December. The board is scheduled to identify them publicly by Friday, Dec. 4, and bring them to campus for interviews and public forums beginning the week of Dec. 7.

After receiving a list of semifinalists from the first search committee Nov. 6, the second committee met earlier this week to interview the candidates. The meetings were closed to the public, consistent with the Board of Trustees’ plan to keep the names of candidates confidential until the list of finalists is released.

“I appreciate the time and effort of the committee to identify a strong group of potential candidates for in-depth background and reference checks,” says UW Trustee Dave Bostrom, of Worland, who chairs the second committee. “We have an excellent group to pass along to the board and to meet with members of the public and the campus community. As the committee’s vetting process proceeds, we wanted to let people know of the timetable so they can make plans to participate in the public forums with the finalists.”

Specific times and locations have not yet been determined, but the candidates’ visits to campus will include public forums -- expected to be broadcast statewide on UW’s WyoCast system. The full board will conduct separate interviews with each finalist as well.

The board will accept public input on the finalists via an online questionnaire. Trustees will consider that input and then fulfill their responsibility of selecting the next president.

“We’re looking forward to hearing from faculty, staff, students and the public on their thoughts about the candidates,” Board of Trustees President Dave Palmerlee says. “The interactions between the finalists and UW’s stakeholders will be of great interest to the board, and the feedback we receive will be very valuable as we make this important decision.”

In addition to Bostrom, members of the second committee are trustees John McKinley, of Cheyenne, Dick Scarlett, of Jackson, John MacPherson, of Saratoga, and Wava Tully, of Lusk; Professor Cynthia Weinig of the departments of Botany and Molecular Biology, and the Program in Ecology; Professor Jason Shogren of the Department of Economics and Finance; law student Joel Defebaugh, a former president of the Associated Students of UW (ASUW); Brian Schueler, current ASUW president; Josh Decker, manager of UW Real Estate Operations; Rachel Stevens, data and communications manager in the School of Pharmacy; UW Foundation board member Greg Hill; Lynne Cheney, of Jackson; and Lynne Boomgaarden, of Cheyenne.

For complete information about the presidential search, go to www.uwyo.edu/presidentsearch/. Input on the search is still being accepted via email at UW.Presidential.Search@uwyo.edu.