ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA--In the search for Winthrop University’s next president, three finalists were named Feb. 4 by the Board of Trustees. The board has been working with a consultant to narrow a list of more than 150 applicants to the following finalists:
· Edward Serna, president, University of Maine Farmington
· Martin Roth, president, University of Charleston (Charleston, West Virginia)
· Neal Weaver, president, Georgia Southwestern State University
The finalists were chosen from a diverse applicant pool which included sitting presidents, provosts, and other educational leaders. The Presidential Search Committee interviewed 15 applicants via Zoom last month and narrowed that list down to seven who were interviewed off campus this week.
Each of the finalists will be on the Rock Hill campus over the next week for interviews with the Board of Trustees, the Presidential Search Advisory Group, vice presidents, deans, students, faculty and staff leadership, community leaders and Winthrop Foundation leadership. The board will then choose the individual who will become the institution's 12th president.
The finalists were chosen after an eight-month search process that the board undertook with the assistance of Myers McRae, a Georgia-based higher education consulting firm.
"With Myers McRae’s help, the presidential search committee was pleased to assemble the most professionally qualified finalist pool for a Winthrop presidency in recent years. All of these finalists mentioned the great potential they see at Winthrop, and we are thrilled to be hosting them," said Presidential Search Committee Chair Julie Fowler.
Fowler said the board will make its choice within two weeks, with an announcement tentatively by the end of the month. The new president will begin work on July 1.
Board of Trustees Chair Glenn McCall praised the search team’s work, noting a new president will come at a pivotal point in Winthrop’s history. “Selecting a new president is the most important and rewarding task that we as Trustees do to help ensure the future success of Winthrop University and our students,” he said. “This group of finalists is well prepared to lead Winthrop University into a brighter future.”
Each of the finalists will spend multiple days on the Winthrop campus, where they will complete a robust interview schedule, make a presentation to the campus community and attend a public meet and greet. Serna will be on campus Feb. 6-8; Roth on Feb. 8-10; and Weaver on Feb. 10-11.
More on the candidates:
Edward Serna is president of the University of Maine Farmington (UMF). He came to UMF from the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith (UAFS), where he served as interim chancellor. Prior to serving as interim chancellor at UAFS, he was chief of staff and associate vice chancellor for external funding and chief of staff and vice chancellor for strategic initiatives. He received a doctorate of education in higher education administration from the University of Alabama, a Master of Science in management information systems from Auburn University, a Master of Science in industrial management from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Winthrop University.
Martin Roth is president of the University of Charleston. Before coming to West Virginia he was dean and professor of management and marketing at the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford. He was previously chair of the Sonoco International Business Department, executive director of the flagship International M.B.A. program, and the chief innovation and assessment officer at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business. He holds a Ph.D. in marketing and anthropology, an M.B.A., and a bachelor’s degree in business and economics, all from the University of Pittsburgh.
Neal Weaver is president of Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW). Prior to GSW, he served as the vice president for university advancement and innovation at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Prior to Nicholls, he served as vice president for institutional advancement at West Texas A&M University and as vice president for university relations at Northeastern State University (Oklahoma). He holds a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from the University of Oklahoma, an M.B.A. from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s degree in speech/communications from Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
For more information on the candidates, check the presidential search website or contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
