UT Presidential Search Committee Announced

By Andrew Roush in Blog on September 15, 2014 at 2:57 pm | No Comments

UT System Board of Regents chair Paul Foster announced the members of UT-Austin’s presidential search committee today, naming 15 people to the panel charged with finding the successor to UT-Austin president Bill Powers.

Eight of the spots on the committee are statutory, representing the university’s main constituencies, while seven are appointed. According to the System, the appointed members “have demonstrated significant involvement with UT Austin.” Six of those seven are alumni.

The list includes Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, LLB ’67, BA ’92, Life Member, Distinguished Alumna, president of the Texas Exes, as well as Adm. William McRaven, BJ ’77, Life Member, Distinguished Alumnus, who will succeed Francisco Cigarroa as UT System chancellor.

Powers will resign on June 2, 2015, following an agreement between Powers and Cigarroa. The UT System will also be assisted by the executive search firm Spencer Stuart.

Here’s the full list of search committee members:

Pedro Reyes, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the UT System, and Larry Faulkner, Ph.D., president emeritus of UT Austin, will co-chair the search committee.

Representing the Board of Regents on the committee will be Vice Chairman Gene Powell, Vice Chairman Steven Hicks, and Regent Brenda Pejovich.

Representing presidents of other UT System institutions are Diana S. Natalicio, Ph.D., president of UT El Paso, and Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., president of UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Representing the campus deans’ council will be Randy L. Diehl, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

Serving as faculty representatives are: Martha F. Hilley, professor of music, Butler School of Music; David M. Hillis, Ph.D., professor of integrative biology, College of Natural Sciences; and Ernest D. (David) Sosa, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, College of Liberal Arts.

Representing the UT Austin staff is Erika Frahm, staff council immediate past chair and senior program coordinator in Human Resources.

Geetika Jerath, president of the Senate of College Councils, will represent the student body on the committee.

Former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will serve on the committee as president of the Texas Exes.

Seven external community representatives, all of whom have demonstrated significant involvement with UT Austin, and six of whom are alumni, were also selected to serve. They include:

Printice Gary, founder and CEO of Carleton Residential Properties and former member of the Board of Regents

Brian Haley, co-founder of CBTX Capital, former student regent and former UT Austin student body president

Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa, Southern District of Texas

Woody Hunt, chairman and CEO of Hunt Companies, Inc. and former vice chairman of the Board of Regents

Admiral William H. McRaven, (Ret.), former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command

Jack Randall, co-founder of Jefferies Randall & Dewey Inc.

Robert Rowling, founder of TNT Holdings and former vice chairman of the Board of Regents