The four finalists in the University of South Florida presidential search are beginning a three-day whirlwind of interviews that should culminate with Friday's selection of Judy Genshaft's successor.
On Wednesday, the candidates sit down for interviews with the 15-member search committee in the Gibbons Alumni Center Tradition Hall on the USF Tampa campus.
- Debasish "Deba" Dutta, former Chancellor at Rutgers University – New Brunswick: 8:30-9:45 a.m.
- Jeffrey Vitter, former Chancellor at the University of Mississippi : 10:15-11:30 a.m.
- Wanda Blanchett, the Interim Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Rutgers University – New Brunswick: 12:30-1:45 p.m.
- Steven Currall, the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Southern Methodist University: 2:15-3:30 p.m.
The interviews are open to the public. While they will not be available via Webcast, they will be live streamed to locations around USF:
- USF St. Petersburg: The Reef, University Student Center (dining area); POY 234
- USF Sarasota-Manatee: Campus Café area
- USF Tampa: Patel Auditorium, MSC 3705
- USF Health: MDN 1st Floor Lobby; CAMLS Room 202
On Thursday, the finalists will make the rounds of the three campuses for public conversations with members of the search committee, who will ask questions submitted by USF faculty, staff, students and the public.
On Friday, there will be one final round of interviews on the Tampa campus, this time with the USF Board of Trustees. Immediately following those interviews, trustees are expected to vote on the next USF President.
A full schedule of events can be found here.
Contract negotiations could then take place and the choice would need to be approved by the State University System Board of Governors next week.
Current President Judy Genshaft is retiring effective July 1 after 19 years leading USF.
