The Lewis College of Business may be able to drop the "interim" from before its dean's name as early as April.
Christina Murphy, LCOB dean search Committee Chair and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said from the 21 candidates who applied for the position, five remain.
"The interview process for the five finalists will be completed by March 31 and a recommendation forwarded to the Provost Dr. Sarah Denman, and to Interim President Mike Farrell, at that time," she said.
Murphy also said she anticipated a decision in early April and the new dean to start work by July 1.
Although she hopes the dean will be chosen by April, there is no deadline for Denman and Farrell to make their decisions after the committee completes its work.
Of the five finalists, two are Marshall administrators. Andrew Sikula is associated dean of the Graduate College and director of the Graduate School of Management. Chong Kim is interim dean of LCOB.
Sikula has been involved with Marshall for six years. He earned both his Ph.D. and M.B.A. in management from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. He is scheduled to meet with the search committee March 14 -16.
Kim has worked at Marshall for 28 years. His Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior is from The Ohio State University and his M.B.A. in management is from Miami University of Ohio. After this semester, Kim will have held the interim dean position for two years. His search committee meeting is scheduled for March 2- 4.
One of the outside candidates competing for the position is Dr. Renee Florsheim. She is the Chair of the Department of Marketing and Business Law at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Her Ph.D. in Marketing is from Northwestern University in Chicago. She earned her M.B.A. in marketing from UCLA, and her J.D. in Business Law from Loyola Law School. Florsheim is scheduled to visit Huntington and meet with the search committee Feb. 27 through March 1.
Dr. Paul Uselding is another candidate. He is currently the Dean of the College of Business and Management at Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, MI. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Northwestern University, and his M.B.A in Finance from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Uselding is scheduled to make the trip from University Center to Huntington on March 8-10.
The last remaining candidate is Dr. Anthony Chelte. He is the Chair and Professor of Management in the School of Business at Western New England College in Springfield, MA. His Ph.D. in Industrial Sociology is from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. Chelte is the last of the candidates to meet with the committee. His meeting is scheduled for March 27-29.
Some characteristics Sikula said a good dean should have are: integrity, experience, communication skills, and they must be a good listener.
He decided to apply for the position for a number of reasons.
"I have had experience doing such work, I possess the needed characteristics, and I already have experience working with the faculty, staff, students and administrators at Marshall," he said.
Kim said he applied because he would like to finish his career at Marshall, and continue with some of the programs he has undertaken while serving as interim dean.
He said that naming a new dean would make it easier for LCOB to raise money. Kim also said the person named permanent dean will be able to be more assertive and have more credibility than a dean with the "interim" tag.
Murphy said the candidates are judged on, "How well they meet the criteria for the position, and on the basis of what leadership they can provide for the Lewis College of Business and what benefits they can bring to the College and to Marshall University."
Joining Murphy on the search committee is: Dr. Edwina Pendarvis of the College of Education and Human Services, Dr. Chandra Akkihal, Dr. Jeff Archambault, Dr. Kurt Olmosk, Dr. Deanna Mader, Dr. Roger Adkins, and Ms. Lisa Williamson, all from LCOB; Mr. Monty Ward of Cabell Huntington Hospital is the community representative; Sarah Bowen and Samantha Grant are the student representatives.
Murphy said that the committee has yet to run into any problems. She also said the committee is very pleased with its progress.
Kim highlighted the decision's importance to LCOB, and the college's current condition.
"We (LCOB) are in a crossroads right now. We still have many challenges," he said.
The LCOB dean position was left vacant by Dr. Cal Kent. He served as dean for 10 years but resigned in order to serve as Vice President for Technology Commercialization and to begin the Institute for Entrepreneurial Advances (IDEA). He currently directs the Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER).
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