TAMPA, Fla. (March 18, 2019) – The 15-member University of South Florida presidential search committee today selected four finalists, who will advance in the process to become the university’s seventh president. 

The final candidates, in alphabetical order:

Dr. Wanda Blanchett - Interim Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Dr. Steve Currall - Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Southern Methodist University

Dr. Debasish (Deba) Dutta - Distinguished Professor of Engineering & former Chancellor, Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Dr. Jeffrey Vitter - Distinguished Professor of Computer & Information Science & former Chancellor, University of Mississippi

Each finalist has a broad range of academic leadership experience, including at institutions that belong to the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).  USF has a well-established goal of positioning itself for future membership in the AAU, an invitation-only group of top universities in the U.S. and Canada. 

The finalists will now participate in interviews with the search committee, candidate conversations on each USF campus and interviews with the USF Board of Trustees (BOT) this week. 

Today USF announced a schedule for these activities:

Search committee interviews on Wednesday, March 20

Dutta: 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Vitter: 10:15 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Blanchett: 12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Currall: 2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Interviews will take place in Traditions Hall at the Sam and Martha Gibbons Alumni Center on the Tampa campus.

Candidate conversations on Thursday, March 21

USF Tampa

8 a.m. – 9 a.m.: Dutta

11a.m. – 12 p.m.: Currall

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Vitter

5 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Blanchett

 

USF St. Petersburg

8 a.m. – 9 a.m.: Vitter

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Blanchett

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Dutta

5 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Currall

 

USF Sarasota-Manatee

8 a.m. – 9 a.m.: Blanchett

11a.m. – 12 p.m.: Dutta

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Currall

5 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Vitter

Forums will be held in Traditions Hall at USF Tampa, the University Student Center Ballroom at USF St. Petersburg and Room A320A at the USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Center. 

USF Board of Trustees interviews on Friday, March 22

Dutta: 8 a.m. – 9:15 p.m.

Vitter: 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Blanchett: 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Currall: 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Interviews will take place in Traditions Hall.

At the conclusion of the interviews, the BOT hopes to choose a new president during a meeting that will begin at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 22 in Traditions Hall.  The president-elect must then be confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors (BOG), which oversees the 12-member State University System.  The confirmation is scheduled for Thursday, March 28 during the BOG meeting in Tallahassee. 

Beginning on Wednesday, members of the campus community and the public will have an opportunity to submit their feedback on the candidates through the presidential search website: www.usf.edu/7thpresident.

The new president will succeed Judy Genshaft, who will step down effective July 1, after a historic 19-year tenure at USF.

USF continues to follow a transparent, inclusive presidential search process that adheres to Board of Governors regulations and Florida Statutes.  

 

About the University of South Florida System

The University of South Florida System is a high-impact global research system dedicated to student success. The USF System includes three institutions: USF, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The institutions are separately accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All institutions have distinct missions and their own detailed strategic plans. Serving over 50,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.8 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.