Three Candidates Chosen for ASU-Beebe Chancellor Interviews

Arkansas State University System President Dr. Charles Welch announced Friday (Oct. 30) that three candidates have been invited to the ASU-Beebe campus to interview for the position of chancellor.

The three candidates are:
• Dr. Michael L. DeLong, executive vice president and provost at Pulaski Technical college in North Little Rock, who will visit Nov. 9-10;

• Dr. Karla Fisher, vice president of academics at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., who will visit Nov. 16-17; and

• Dr. Ted A. Lewis, vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn., who will visit Nov. 11-12.

DeLong has served as executive vice president and provost at Pulaski Technical college in North Little Rock since 2012. He was vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer at Ozarka College in Melbourne from 2006-2012 and held various administrative and teaching roles at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City from 1994-2006.

Fisher has served as vice president of academics at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., since 2010. She was interim president of Butler for six months in 2013. She has been an associate of the Center for Community College Student Engagement since 2007 and was director of institutional marketing at Salt Lake Community College from 2001-2007.

Lewis has served as vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn., since 2012. He was the founding dean of instruction at Lone Star College-CyFair near Houston from 2003-2012 and was department chair in political science at Collin County Community College near Dallas from 1995-2003.

The invitations to formally interview on campus come after recent meetings Welch conducted with the Chancellor Search Advisory Committee. The advisory committee, consisting of 14 members representing faculty, staff, students, and community representatives, has reviewed 57 applications for the position.

The candidates will meet with the advisory committee, faculty, staff, students, and community members during scheduled interview sessions. Individuals attending the interview sessions will have an opportunity to submit feedback regarding each candidate to the Chancellor Search Advisory Committee. Following the final interview, the advisory committee will meet to discuss the candidates and provide feedback to Welch.

Welch has indicated a desire to have a new chancellor named prior to Jan. 1. The new chancellor will succeed Dr. Eugene McKay, who announced in May that he would retire in January after almost 50 years’ services to ASU-Beebe, including the past 21 years as chancellor.

The position and related information are posted on the ASU-Beebe website.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed until the position is filled.