The NDSU Presidential Search Committee has recommended an unranked slate of three finalists to the State Board of Higher Education. The committee met Feb. 4 to narrow the field of candidates and forward the names to the board.
The finalists include:
• David Cook, vice chancellor for public affairs and academic development at Kansas University in Lawrence
• Hesham El-Rewini, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Marymount University in the Washington, D.C., area
• Mary Holz-Clause, chancellor for the University of Minnesota Crookston and acting executive chancellor for Crookston and University of Minnesota Morris campuses
Cook was vice chancellor of the Kansas University Edwards campus in Overland Park prior to being named to his post in Lawrence. Before that, he spent 14 years at the University of Kansas Medical Center, including seven years as a member of the leadership cabinet. He also earned tenure as a professor at Kansas University’s School of Medicine and in the College of Liberal Arts.
El-Rewini was dean and professor in the University of North Dakota College of Engineering and Mines from 2008 to 2019. He previously served as a senior vice provost and dean. Prior positions include chair and professor of computer science at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and professor of computer science at University of Nebraska Omaha.
Prior to her work at UM Crookston and UM Morris, Holz-Clause was dean of agriculture at Cal Poly Pomona from 2014-2017. She previously was vice president for economic development at the University of Connecticut and associate vice president of Extension and outreach and associate director of Iowa Cooperative Extension Service at Iowa State University.
Earlier, five candidates visited NDSU for meetings and interviews. Removed from consideration were: Debra Larson, provost and vice president affairs at California State University, Chico; Michael Tidwell, immediate past president of University of Texas at Tyler.
The board will conduct final interviews on the NDSU campus on Wednesday, Feb. 23, with the selection of the next NDSU president announced thereafter. It is anticipated that the new NDSU president will assume office in June.
To watch video of any of the candidate presentations, visit the Presidential Search web page.