Eight applicants for the new UF president were announced Friday on the presidential search website.
The search committee revealed the names after meeting at the UF Board of Trustees retreat.
The committee discussed key traits and objectives the next president should possess when UF President Bernie Machen retires in December.
Some of the first applicants for the position include UF Provost Joseph Glover; Abraham Joseph Layon, Geisinger Health System director of critical care; Ronald Nykiel, Special Advisor to the CEO of the Pantheon Chemical Corp.; and Kamal Dean Parhizgar, professor of management and business ethics at Texas A&M International University.
The committee reviewed a term sheet outlining the employment contract and can be negotiated later, said Raymond Cotton, an outside consultant who joined the meeting on a conference call.
He read through the term sheet’s 26 items, which included serving a five-year term, benefits and compensation. The list also incorporated short- and long-term goals for UF, such as adopting strategic plans for preeminence.
Jan Greenwood, owner of the search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates Inc., updated the committee on marketing efforts. She said the number of applicants will be small, but there has been a positive response about the preeminence goals.
“We’re serious about getting the best president to achieve top 10 status,” Greenwood said.
Outreach themes like preeminence hiring, Land-Grant Mission contributions and furthering UF’s commitment to the arts were identified through responses to the two search criteria questions sent to the greater UF community in an email at the end of August.
More than 100 people sent feedback, which showed focus and interest, said Jodi Gentry, assistant vice president of Human Resource Services.
Gentry opened a brainstorming session to pin the important qualities of a president, which would be turned into questions for future candidates. Strategic, open minded and synergetic were among the mentions. The president should also focus on the student experience and on maintaining UF’s status in the Association of American Universities.
“There’s really no limit to where we can go,” said Vasudha Narayanan, committee member and UF Department of Religion professor. “It’s a moving horizon. We can get there, and we will get there. ”
Presidential Search Committee Chairman Steven Scott said the whole university must get involved to prove they are ready for this change.
“We’ve been challenged to move into the top 10,” Scott said. “We’re in a comfortable spot now. But all those below us want our spot. If we don’t do anything, we’re going down.”
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 9/8/2014 under the headline "Eight applicants announced for UF president position"]
