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Baltimore, MD (Dec. 10, 2021) – Jay A. Perman, chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM), has appointed—and the USM Board of Regents has approved—the search and screening committee for the new president of ºÚÁÏÍø. Current Salisbury President Chuck Wight will continue to lead the university through his retirement date of June 30, 2022.
In beginning the search for Wight’s replacement, the Board of Regents is committed to finding a successor who will continue his legacy as a leader who focused on educational access and affordability, building a culture of diversity and inclusion, and strengthening community and business partnerships.

USM Regent Robert Rauch will chair the ºÚÁÏÍø Presidential Search and Screening Committee, which has been chosen to reflect the SU community with representation among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other institutional stakeholders. The committee’s work will result in the submission of a short list of the most-qualified presidential candidates for the Board of Regents to consider. More information regarding the SU presidential search process can be found here.

“I’m so grateful to Regent Rauch and the entire search committee,” said Chancellor Perman. “Of course, it’s a challenge to identify a leader who will sustain the progress SU has made under President Wight, who will continue that trajectory of quality and prominence. But it’s also an extraordinary opportunity to shape Salisbury’s next chapter. I’m thrilled we have so many people on the search committee really excited to undertake this work.”

The members of the committee are:

Robert Rauch, Search Committee Chair—Regent, University System of Maryland

Louise Anderson—Associate Professor, Music

Thomas Cawthern—Associate Professor, Geography and Geosciences

Vanessa Collins ’02, ‘04—Chair, Staff Senate, Research Accounting & Compliance

Gerry DiBartolo—Director, Athletics and Campus Recreation

Mike Dunn ‘84—President/CEO, Greater Salisbury Committee

Michele Garigliano ‘83—Chair, SU Foundation Board of Directors

Beatriz Hardy—Dean, Libraries and Instructional Resources

Julius Jones ’06, ‘09—Executive Officer, FEMA

Lili Leonard ’09, ‘11—President, SU Alumni Association

Deneen Long-White—Assistant Professor, Public Health

Yuki Okubo—Associate Professor, Psychology

Tyler Patton ’05, ‘08—Senior Vice President, Maryland Broadband Cooperative

Alexander Pope—Associate Professor, Secondary and Physical Education

Tina Reid—Professor, Nursing

Tim Robinson ’93, ‘06—Chair, Adjunct Faculty Caucus, History

Margaret Sebastian—Director, TRIO Student Support Services

Corey Sharp—IT Support Associate, Information Technology

Andy Smarick—Regent, University System of Maryland

Jessica Strange ‘20—President, Graduate Student Council

Christy Weer ‘96—Dean, Perdue School of Business

Sonya Whited—Director, Perdue Farms

Andrew Wilson—President, Student Government Association

The committee will work with the national leadership recruiting firm , and is being staffed by USM Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Life JoAnn Boughman. A biographical page for President Wight is here.

The committee's work will conclude with its recommendation of finalists for consideration by the chancellor and the Board of Regents. The board will make the final selection. Historically, the search process for a president at most USM institutions has taken four to six months.

Members of the campus and greater communities are invited to submit nominations for outstanding individuals they would like to be considered as SU’s next leader to SU-president-search@usmd.edu.