MADISON, Wis.—University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and Board of Regents President Andrew S. Petersen have finalized a 10-member Search and Screen Committee to help identify the next chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the request of University of Wisconsin–River Falls shared governance leaders, Presidents Thompson and Petersen postponed the search. The university and UW System have agreed that now is the right time to begin search preparations.
In accordance with Regent Policy Document 6-4, the Search and Screen Committee is composed of 10 voting members, including five Regents and five individuals knowledgeable about the duties and responsibilities of the position.
Regent Petersen appointed five Regents to the Search and Screen Committee, which will be chaired by Regent Scott Beightol. President Thompson, after consulting with members of UW-River Falls’ shared governance groups and other members of the university community, appointed the five non-Regent members of the committee, including two faculty members, one staff representative, one student, and one community/alumni member. Professor Sylvia Kehoe will serve as committee vice chair.
Serving on the Search and Screen Committee are:
- Chair: Scott Beightol, Regent
- Vice Chair: Sylvia Kehoe, Professor of Animal and Food Science, UW-River Falls (faculty)
- Amy Blumenfeld Bogost, Regent
- Neil Kraus, Professor of Politics, Geography, and International Studies, UW-River Falls (faculty)
- Becky Levzow, Regent
- Dan McGinty, UW-River Falls alumnus and retired former employee (community)
- Sarah Nelson, Executive Director of Admissions, UW-River Falls (staff)
- Madeleine Olson (student)
- Corey Saffold, Regent
- Kyle Weatherly, Regent
The committee will consider candidates to replace Chancellor Dean Van Galen, who resigned this summer. UW-River Falls serves nearly 6,000 students.
The University of Wisconsin System serves approximately 165,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System institutions also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.