Committee continues search for president

By Megan Finnerty
Asst. Campus Editor

The hunt continues for Purdue's next president. With his retirement slated to take place on July 1, President Steven Beering has agreed to remain past that date if no replacement has been chosen.

Progress in the search, which started last fall when committees were formed, has been somewhat slow due to the fact that some candidates have been recently eliminated and others have been added, according to Joseph Bennett, vice president of University relations.

"The search is still in progress and the trustees are still looking at people," he said. "The mix now is different than it was, say, two months ago."

The mix Bennett referred to comprises candidates selected by a 14- member committee representing a cross section of Purdue community members, ranging from deans of various schools to students.

Tim McGinley, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said in late January that to garner candidacy recommendations and criteria, he sent out several thousand letters to people who have been closely associated with Purdue.

The committee is searching for a candidate that — among other things — understands the academic world, interacts with different kinds of people and has a good sense of strong executive ability, said McGinley. But some students are hoping to see a new president who is approachable, enjoys interacting with students and has a nice husband, said Leah Kegler, a senior in the School of Liberal Arts.

"It would say a lot about Purdue if they looked at female candidates for the presidency," she said. "A woman as president might encourage more female students to come to Purdue and maybe achieve more in some of the male-dominated programs that they might feel intimidated about doing well in. A female president would be a good example."

Anne Sadenwater, a senior in the School of Technology, said she — like Kegler — would like to see a president who is more visible on campus.

"We need someone who can relate to people our age — someone with a good sense of humor and somebody who knows a lot about different cultures," she said.

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