Regents Name UMD Presidential Search Committee

A 20-member committee including University of Maryland faculty, staff, students and alumni will conduct the search for the university's next president, University System of Maryland Chancellor Robert L. Caret announced yesterday.

Writing to the campus community on behalf of the USM Board of Regents, Caret said the search committee was assembled after lengthy deliberations and represents a broad range of perspectives.

“In making the membership decisions, the University Senate, the Board of Trustees, current campus leadership, other stakeholders from the campus community and members of the broader external community were all consulted,” he said.

The group will be chaired by regent and UMD alumnus Gary Attman '76, Caret said, and assisted by Isaacson, Miller, an executive search firm that works with top research universities.

Caret said the committee would hold an open campus forum on May 8 and encouraged all to attend.

UMD President Wallace D. Loh has said he would step down after the 2019–20 academic year; choosing his replacement represents one of the Board of Regents’ core responsibilities, Caret said.

“Identifying the next leader of the system’s flagship institution—and one of the nation’s best public research institutions—is an obligation the board takes extremely seriously,” he said.

The search committee also includes:

• Ritu Agarwal, distinguished university professor and dean's chair of information systems

• Wanda Alexander, immediate past president, Alumni Association Board of Governors

• Gregory Ball, professor and dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (vice chair)

• Sharon Fries-Britt, professor, Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education

• Kayla Burch, undergraduate student

• Debabrata Biswas, associate professor, Department of Animal and Avian Sciences

• Otto Fandino, director of administration, Department of Aerospace Engineering

• John Fourkas, professor and associate chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

• Geoff Gonella, chair, UMCP Foundation

• Andrea Goodwin, director, Office of Student Conduct

• Barry Gossett, regent, USM Board of Regents

• William “Brit” Kirwan, USM chancellor emeritus and UMD professor emeritus

• Annie Rappeport, graduate student

• Leonard Raley, USM vice chancellor for advancement and president, USM Foundation (staff)

• Justin Ross, member, Alumni Association Board of Governors

• Stephen Thomas, professor, Department of Health Services Administration

• Gary Williams, former head men’s basketball coach

• Janelle Wong, professor, Department of American Studies

• Laura Anderson Wright, associate general counsel