Four final candidates have been selected out of about 50 applicants to lead ASU East and serve its 3,660 students as the next vice president and provost.
The four finalists' names have been forwarded to ASU President Michael Crow and Executive Vice President and Provost Milton Glick. The administrators will decide who will replace the current provost, Chuck Backus, when he retires in May.
ASU East is bringing the four finalists to the campus to visit with faculty, staff and students. All of the student forums will be held in the Campus Union Ballroom from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. on the day of the candidate's visit.
After the forums, Crow and Glick will make a final decision.
One of the candidates, David A. Wagie, dean of faculty at the United States Air Force Academy, holds the rank of brigadier general in the Air Force and has a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics.
Wagie came to ASU East Tuesday as about 50 faculty and staff attended the first open forum.
"I am attracted by the technology, the practical applications and the student centeredness, and by what has been accomplished here," Wagie said.
Wagie told the audience that if selected provost, he would commit to making sure ASU East salaries and amenities are equal to other campuses.
Wagie said the campus should market its best program to generate revenue. This in turn would give the campus visibility and then the funding that would also be used to build other programs, he added.
Another candidate, Stephen A. Szygenda, dean of the School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, will be at the Student Union Ballroom on Thursday.
Szygenda holds a doctorate and master's in computer engineering. He also served as dean at the University of Alabama.
Gerald S. Jakubowski, dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, will be at ASU East Tuesday. Jakubowski holds a doctorate in engineering science and an master's and bachelor's in mechanical engineering.
The fourth finalist, Richard M. Durand, dean of the College of Business and Economics for Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., holds a doctorate in business administration and a master's and bachelor's in political science. Durand will visit the campus on April 30.
Glick, who chaired the search committee said, "The strength of our finalists and overall candidate pool demonstrates a high level of interest by the academic community in ASU, particularly the evolving polytechnic campus."
Roc Arnette, president and CEO of the East Valley Partnership and member of the search committee, said the group looked for candidates who could implement Crow's vision for the polytechnic campus.
"This is going to require a person that is extremely intelligent with a phenomenal ability to lead the faculty, staff and community in this direction, and we have four candidates who fit that bill," he added.
Reach the reporter at erika.camardella@asu.edu.
