Finalist named for ESU President

   Folkins           Patterson              Hahs                    Lane                       Rallo  

The Kansas Board of Regents announced the five individuals selected as presidential finalists for Emporia State University (ESU).  These five highly qualified individuals were selected from a field of 65 applicants for the position of President of ESU.

“The Committee is very excited to present these outstanding individuals to the campus and community.  Through a rigorous process, these five candidates have risen to the top of a group of 65 well-qualified applicants, and we’re extremely pleased about the broad and diverse set of experiences that each of these individuals possess,” said Regent Janice DeBauge, Presidential Search Committee Chair.  “The upcoming visits will give these finalists, the campus, and the community an opportunity to get to know each other better.  We’ve been looking forward to these visits since the process began in March, and encourage all who can to interact with these five impressive leaders.”

The five candidates who will soon be visiting the ESU campus and the community of Emporia are:

• John W. Folkins, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.

• Sharon K. Hahs, Ph.D., Director of Special Projects, Professor of Chemistry, and former Provost at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL.

• Michael R. Lane, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/Provost and Professor of Accounting at University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, Fort Smith, AR.

• Bernie L. Patterson, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, OK.

• Joseph C. Rallo, Ph.D., Provost and Academic Vice President at Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

The scheduled interviews are to begin September 5 and will conclude September 15.  At the conclusion of the interviews, the Search Committee will forward names of recommended candidates to the Board of Regents for the final selection.

During the two-day interviews, the candidates will meet with ESU administrators, faculty, students, and staff to learn more about the university and interact with the various constituent groups.  In addition, an Emporia Chamber of Commerce breakfast, a reception open to the campus and community, and a luncheon with board members from the ESU Alumni Association and the ESU Foundation will be held.

Candidate vita information and interview schedules will soon be posted on the Board of Regents’ website at http://www.kansasregents.org/Presidentialsearch.html, and on the ESU website at http://www.emporia.edu/presprofile.

The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents is the governing board of the state's six public universities and a supervising and coordinating board for nineteen community colleges, ten technical institutions, and a municipal university.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>