MADISON — A 17-member search-and-screen committee has been appointed by University of Wisconsin System President Katharine C. Lyall to help identify a successor to the late UW-River Falls Chancellor Ann Lydecker.
The committee will be chaired by Terry Brown, UW-River Falls professor of English. She will be joined by eight other faculty members, two academic staff members, two students, two university administrators and two community members.
“None of us at UW-River Falls thought that we would be preparing for a search for a chancellor at this time,” Brown said. “But we will proceed with all due care, with the determination to find the best candidate who is available.
“UW-River Falls will seek a chancellor who has a solid academic background, a willingness to seek understanding from a variety of viewpoints, and a vision to carry forward the important work happening on our campus and through our outreach to the St. Croix Valley,” Brown continued. “Our committee is diverse and up to this important charge.”
The committee will begin its work this summer and continue through the start of the academic year. It will recommend at least five candidates who could replace Lydecker, who died in a car accident in March. The UW System President and a special committee of the UW System Board of Regents will then conduct final interviews and make a recommendation to the full board.
“This search is especially important to the UW System,” Lyall said. “With its location in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the campus is situated in the fastest growing area of Wisconsin. As the home to one of the System’s three schools of agriculture, and its thriving programs in the sciences, arts, humanities, education and business, it will play a critical role in the growth and development of western Wisconsin and meeting the educational needs of its residents.”
Members of the UW-River Falls Chancellor Search and Screen Committee are:
- Faculty: Terry Brown, professor of English; Kristine Butler Karlson, assistant professor of modern language; Suzanne Hagen, professor of speech communication and theatre arts; Cynthia Kernahan, assistant professor of psychology; Darryl Miller, associate professor of business administration; E. Katherine Miller, associate professor of biology; Don Stovall, associate professor of school psychology; David Trechter, professor of agricultural economics; Purnendu Vasavada, professor of animal and food science.
- Academic Staff: Mark Kinders, director of public affairs; Kathleen Olson, lecturer of speech communication and theatre arts.
- Students: Matt Schuelke, senior majoring in business administration and psychology; Hope Yeager, senior majoring in chemistry.
- Administrators: Mary Halada, vice chancellor for administration and finance; Margaret Lewis, associate vice president for university relations, UW System.
- Community: Tom Palmer, president, First National Bank of River Falls; Quentin Schultz, president, BioDiagnostics, Inc., of River Falls.
Lyall appointed the committee after broad consultation with the university community, alumni and donors, regents and others.
The Special Regent Committee for the UW-River Falls Chancellor Search is chaired by Regent Charles Pruitt of Milwaukee. Joining him on the committee are Regents Nino Amato, Eileen Connolly-Keesler, Danae Davis and Jesus Salas.
Note to News Media
President Lyall and Regent Pruitt will meet with the UW-River Falls campus/community search-and-screen committee on Tuesday, July 6, from 1-4 p.m. in room 140 of the Klempell Fine Arts Building on the UW-River Falls campus, 410 South Third Street. The committee will receive its charge and discuss the process. There will also be a review of the position description and an opportunity for committee members to ask questions. This is an open meeting.