Iowa State officially launches presidential search, opens door for non-traditional candidate

AMES — Iowa State University on Tuesday officially launched its search for a new president with a refined position overview and list of expectations, attributes, and qualities infused with the stark reality that higher education is at a crossroads.

“The new president must be a servant leader who is forward thinking and has the ability to navigate change,” according the position overview posted publicly on a new ISU presidential search website Tuesday morning. “The new president must be able to make courageous decisions while leading in a shifting higher education environment.”

Leaving open the option for non-traditional candidates — those outside academia, like in the private sector or with government experience — the overview makes “significant senior-level executive experience, preferably in higher education, and an earned doctorate (or terminal degree)” strongly preferred, rather than required.

“To assure best consideration, applications should be received by Sept. 19, 2025,” according to the overview.

The search went live a week later than originally planned after Iowa State’s 12-member search committee last week decided it wanted more time to refine and refocus its position description.

“I wonder if we shouldn't have a bit of an angle on this that talks about the courage of a new president to challenge institutional longtime budget models, funding, and spending streams,” ISU alumnus and Pivot Bio board member Roger Underwood told his fellow search committee members last week, asking if their first iteration of a search profile was “too status quo?”

“I think that we're going to need a president who's willing to call a lot tougher shots than presidents have had to call in the past,” he said. “And I don't know that this description sounds anything more different than one or two president job descriptions ago.”

While including traditional attributes of academic leaders — like a “focus on preparation, support, and success needs for all students in academics, research, and health and welfare” — Iowa State’s candidate profile also hinted at its desire for innovation and flexibility in an evolving higher ed reality with expectations, attributes, and qualities like:

Some of the more traditional expectations, attributes, and qualities Iowa State is looking for in its 17th president include:

Timeline, process

ISU President Wendy Wintersteen, 68 — who became the university’s first female president in 2017 — in May announced her plans to retire in early 2026.

The university promptly compiled its 12-member search committee — including four members of Iowa’s governing Board of Regents. And a tentative timeline has the committee getting access to its pool of applicants Sept. 22.

The group is scheduled to meet the week of Oct. 6 to identify semifinalists and develop questions they want to ask them. The tentative timeline has the committee reconvening Oct. 20 to interview semifinalists and identify finalists — who’ll visit the Ames campus Nov. 3-7.

The schedule proposes bringing finalists before the full Board of Regents Nov. 11-13 for interviews and final selection.

Although the search committee has been charged “with the responsibility to identify candidates who are experienced leaders in higher education, of unquestionable integrity, and carry a vision for innovation and success within an informed university community,” Iowa lawmakers last session past a measure giving only the committee’s regent members a vote.

Specifically, Senate File 2435 reads, “When electing a president of an institution of higher learning, the board may use a presidential selection committee. Only members of the board shall serve as voting members of a presidential selection committee.”

Where the 21-member search committee that identified Wintersteen as a finalist equally weighed the opinions of its faculty members, students, staff, shared governance leaders, ISU alumni, foundation representatives, and members of the public, Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, recently reminded the board that this search should look different.

“This is a significant departure from past presidential selection processes where the Board of Regents abdicated their responsibility in electing a university president, allowing candidates to be narrowed down by some of the most extreme factions of the campus community,” he wrote in a letter to the board in May. “These past processes were not only a mistake, but following such an approach in the selection of Iowa State's next president would now be illegal.”

‘Most beautiful in the country’

In seeking applicants, the position description promises confidentiality “through the semifinalist stage” — meaning only finalist names will be made public upon their visits to Iowa State to participate in face-to-face interviews and a public forum.

“The new president will assume office by or before Jan. 1, 2026.”

In promoting the 1,900-acre Iowa State campus — described as “one of the most beautiful in the country” — the new ISU search website highlights its 30,432 student body, 1,746 faculty, 4,849 staff members and more than $16.5 million invested in “innovation initiatives” in the last three years.

“From expanding high-demand degree programs and cutting-edge research to enhancing student well-being and supporting Iowa communities, these strategic investments advance Iowa State toward what it aspires to be.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com