16 apply for UAFS chancellor, committee to begin review

University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Interim Chancellor Dr. Edward Serna is one of 16 so far to apply for the job at an institution with 5,840 students and 914 faculty and staff. The Chancellor Search Committee meets Wednesday (Feb. 20) for a first look at applicant information.

University of Arkansas System President Dr. Donald Bobbitt appointed the committee of 17 from the university, community and region to identify qualified candidates for UAFS chancellor. The position was vacated when Dr. Paul Beran left the position Aug. 31 to take on a new job as executive director and CEO of the South Dakota Higher Education Board of Regents. Serna, UAFS chief of staff and vice chancellor for strategic initiatives, became the interim chancellor Sept. 1.

“Upon completion of the campus interviews and compilation of input from stakeholder groups, the search committee will provide information on the qualified candidates to Bobbitt for his consideration and deliberation by the Board of Trustees,” the UAFS website states.

Dr. Margaret Tanner, associate provost for academic affairs and director of graduate studies, chairs the committee, which met for the first time Dec. 12.

“Our goal for this meeting (Wednesday) is to hopefully determine a list for the first round of interviews,” Tanner said.

Greenwood/Asher & Associates Inc. a search firm based in Miramar Beach, Fla., is assisting in the chancellor search. The firm will be paid about $84,000, Nate Hinkel, UA System director of communications, has said. That money will come from The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Foundation.

To date, the candidate list includes two from UAFS: Serna and Ron Darbeau, professor and dean of College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at UAFS. Following are the other applicants.
• Tyler Adams, executive dean of continuing education and lifelong learning and professor of communication at University of Bahamas
• Safran Almakaty, unemployed
• Timothy Cornelius, academic vice president of career and workforce education at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville
• Joe Delap, vice president for academic affairs and tenured professor at Athens State University in Athens, Ala.
• Ron Dempsey, vice president for university advancement at Winona State University in Winona, Minn.
• Charalobos (Haris) Doumanidis, vice provost for research and interim dean of school of mining and geosciences at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan
• Rick Kurtz, professor at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio
• Lewis Jones, senior consultant and chair of board of advisors with International Group for Educational Transfer
• Kimberly Long, provost and vice president for academic affairs and professor of psychology at Newman University in Wichita, Kan.
• Bruce McGowan, campus provost/associate vice president at Rogers State University – Bartlesville, Okla., Campus
• Scott McKay, provost/vice president for academic affairs and professor of chemistry at Dakota State University in Maddison, S.D.
• William (Bill) McKinney, senior advisor for regional campus affairs at Indiana University
• Dirk Schlingmann, professor in the division of mathematics and computer science at University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C.
• Phillip Way, provost and vice president for academic affairs and student affairs at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Penn.
• Clifford Wittstruck, dean of academics at Western Wyoming Community College in Laramie, Wyo.

Hinkle said the list is likely to be updated by the end of the week.