UCA to Narrow List of President Candidates, Begin Interviews Next Week

The University of Central Arkansas in Conway has received 37 applications for president and will work Thursday to narrow the list and schedule interviews for next week in Dallas.

UCA is seeking a replacement for Tom Courtway, who is retiring.

Christina Madsen, UCA’s associate vice president for communications, public relations and marketing, said the university’s selection committee received the applications on Monday. On Thursday, the group is scheduled to meet to narrow the list to eight to 10 applications, she said.

The committee will interview applicants Oct. 19-20 in Dallas, which Madsen said is a “central location with easy airport access for the candidates.” After that, the committee aims to have three to four finalists to conduct on-campus interviews.

Madsen said the goal is to have a new president in place at the beginning of the year.

Among the applicants is Cody Hiland of Conway, the prosecuting attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit, and Len Frey of Jonesboro, the vice chancellor for finance and administration at Arkansas State University.

(Update, 4:49 p.m.: Here’s the list of eight finalists the UCA search committee will interview in Dallas next week.)

Here’s the list of those who have applied:

• Kevin Bailey (Pensacola, Florida), vice president for student affairs, University of West Florida.

• Ali Banan (Simpsonville, South Carolina), executive vice president for education, research and medical affairs, executive dean of medicine, university distinguished professor of medicine and physiology, University of Windsor School of Medicine and Affiliated Hospital Systems.

• Adolfo Benavides (Greenville, Texas), economics professor and former provost and vice president for academic affairs, Texas A&M University.

• Michael Bodri (Dahlonega, Georgia), professor and dean, College of Science and Mathematics, University of North Georgia.

• Michael Clyburn, dean, Carter and Moyers School of Education, Lincoln Memorial University, Tennessee.

• Steven Combs (Springfield, Missouri), provost, Drury University.

• Trae Cotton (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), vice chancellor for student affairs, Winston-Salem State University, North Carolina.

• David Dauwalder (Glendale, California), former executive vice president, provost and interim president, Woodbury University, California.

• Houston Davis (Roswell, Georgia), interim president of Kennesaw State University, Georgia.

• Ronald DeLap (Longview, Texas), dean, School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, LeTourneau University, Texas.

• Barry Dorsey (Martinsville, Virginia), education consultant and former president of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College, Ohio.

• Ronald Elsenbaumer (Arlington, Texas), interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, University of Texas at Arlington.

• Cale Fessler (Saint Joseph, Missouri), vice president for financial planning and administration, Missouri Western State University.

• Len Frey (Jonesboro), vice chancellor for finance and administration at Arkansas State University, Jonesboro.

• Frank Ghannadian (Tampa, Florida), dean of John H. Sykes College of Business, University of Tampa, Florida.

• Angappa Gunasekaran (North Dartmouth, Massachusetts), dean, Charlton College of Business, professor of operations management, and director of Business Innovation Research Center, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

• Cody Hiland (Conway), prosecuting attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit.

• Karen Kedrowski (Rock Hill, South Carolina), dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Winthrop University, South Carolina.

• Corey King (Delray Beach, Florida), vice president for student affairs, Florida Atlantic University.

• Joe King (Montgomery, Alabama), provost, Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala.

• James Lumpkin (Tyler, Texas), dean and Burke professor, College of Business and Technology, University of Texas at Tyler.

• Nagi Naganathan (Toledo, Ohio), professor and dean of engineering, University of Toledo, Ohio.

• Darrell Parker (Cullowhee, North Carolina), dean and professor of economics, College of Business, Western Carolina University, North Carolina.

• James Payne (Milledgeville, Georiga), dean and professor of economics, J. Whitney Bunting College of Business, Georgia College & State University.

• Charles Patterson (Statesboro, Georiga), interim president of Georgia Southwestern State University.

• Steven Petty (Tallahassee, Florida), chief economist 2015-2016, Florida Taxwatch, Tallahassee.

• Ray Powers (Paradise Valley, Arizona), associate dean, Forbes School of Business, Ashford University.

• David Richard (Oviedo, Florida), dean, graduate and continuing studies, Hamilton Hope School, Rollins College, Florida.

• Bryan Robinson (Floyds Knobs, Indiana), senior assistant vice president, University of Louisville, Kentucky.

• Petra Roter (Omro, Wisconsin), senior special assistant to the vice president, academic and student affairs, University of Wisconsin System.

• Dennis Shields, chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

• Bradford Sims (Ormond Beach, Florida), chief academic officer and professor, Worldwide Campus, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida.

• Lance Tatum (Montgomery, Alabama), vice chancellor, Montgomery campus, Troy University, Alabama.

• Doris Tegart, interim president, Bellarmine University, Kentucky.

• Ronald Toll (Fort Myers, Florida), provost and vice president for academic affairs, Florida Gulf Coast University.

• Alan Utter (Boone, North Carolina), vice provost for research and professor, Appalachian State University, North Carolina.

• Jerald Woolfolk (Baldwinsville, New York), vice president for student affairs, enrollment management, State University of New York at Oswego.