UI liberal arts dean search moving forward after three finalist visits

Campus evaluation forms for the three finalists who interviewed to become the new University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean are due today (Monday).

A fourth candidate withdrew from the search and did not visit campus, said search chairman David Johnsen, dean of the College of Dentistry, in a campus-wide email. The process is moving forward with the three finalists who did visit campus in recent weeks, he said.

"We're very pleased with the three finalists we had," he said. "We're very interested in hearing from the university community. We're intent now on moving the process along as quickly as we can."

A recommendation from the search committee will go to Provost Barry Butler. It's hard to say when the recommendation will be made, Johnsen said, but the committee hopes the new dean is announced well before July 1, which was the initial timeline.

The finalists are Chaden Djalali, Peter L. Hahn and Patricia Okker.

Djalali is Carolina Distinguished Professor and chairman of the department of physics and astronomy at the University of South Carolina. Hahn is tenured professor and chairman of the department of history at Ohio State University. Okker is professor of English and faculty fellow in the Office of the Provost at the University of Missouri.