By Tim Leeds
The search for the president of Montana State University-Bozeman ends tomorrow.
The Board of Regents of Higher Education are holding a meeting in Helena at 10 a.m. with Commissioner of Higher Education Richard Crofts, where they will make the final selection.
Crofts said the search committee, headed by Deputy Commissioner Joyce Scott, has done a good job.
"We're very pleased," he said. "We've got three strong candidates that have been well received on all campuses."
The board has three final candidates, who were interviewed on the MSU-Bozeman campus in September, to choose from. Larry Branen is currently the dean of the University of Idaho's (U of I) College of Agriculture, Geoffrey Gamble is is provost and senior vice president of the University of Vermont and Ann Weaver Hart is the provost and vice president of academic affairs at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California. All three attended open forums followed by receptions during their visits to the campus.
Hart, who is 51-years-old, visited the campus from Sept. 10-12. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in history and a doctoral degree in educational administration from the University of Utah.
Gamble, 58, visited the campus Sept. 12-14. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from Fresno State College, a master's in linguistics from California State University in Fresno, and a doctorate in linguistics from the University of California in Berkeley.
Branen, 55, visited the campus Sept. 27-29. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho and a doctorate in food science from Purdue University.
I think it went real well," Rolf Groseth, executive assistant to the MSU-Bozeman president, said about the search. "We got three candidates very different in ways from one another."
Crofts said all three candidates were well received by all of the campuses of MSU.
Hart has been extensively published, held a variety of administrative positions, served on several national education boards and associations, and consults internationally on educational leadership and professional development.
Gamble was at Washington State University (WSU) for 22 years before moving to the University of Vermont. At WSU he held positions including department chair, vice provost for academic affairs and interim provost. While interim provost he helped develop outreach campuses similar to the current Montana State University system.
Branen has 18 years of experience in administrative experience and extensive experience in research, the Extension Service, information technology and recruitment and retention of students. He led a capital campaign for the College of Agriculture at U of I, resulting in an $18 million biotechnology facility and helped plan a $100 million fund raiser that is currently in progress.
The decision will be made to fill the position left empty when former MSU-Bozeman President Mike Malone died last December. Dr. Terry Roark, formerly president of the University of Wyoming, was appointed interim president of the university last January.
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On the 'net:
www.montana.edu/wwwfachbr/pr/index.html
