EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE:
1 a.m. Central Standard Time (CST), Thursday, Feb. 20, 2003
(Editors/News Directors: These finalists
will NOT be available for public comment or interviews until a candidate is named to fill
the post of SDSMT president.)
(Broadcasters: Charles Ruch pronounces his last name “rook”.)
Three Finalists Named for Tech Presidency
PIERRE – Three candidates are finalists to become the next
president at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the South Dakota Board of
Regents’ search committee announced Thursday.
Regent
Pat Lebrun, who chairs the search process, said the three finalists are visiting the Rapid
City campus this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 21-22) for scheduled meetings with campus
constituents. A presidential search has been under way since October to replace President
Richard Gowen, who is retiring July 1.
The
finalists announced Thursday are:
§
Lee
Alley, chief information officer for the South Dakota Board of Regents, Pierre.
Alley has worked for the Regents since 2001, with responsibility for projects and
operations involving technology, student systems and services, and distance learning.
After nearly 30 years as a faculty member and senior administrator at such institutions as
Texas Tech, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Arizona State, and Southern Methodist University, Alley
was employed in the private sector and as a consultant in higher education technology
services. He has a Ph.D. in management systems and a M.S. in computer science, both from
the University of Nebraska. He also holds a master’s degree in physics and a bachelor’s
degree in mathematics and physics from Central Missouri State University.
§
Charles
Ruch, president of Boise State University, Boise, Idaho. Ruch has been president at
Boise State University since 1993, where he also is a professor of education. He was
previously provost and vice president for academic affairs, and dean of the School of
Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in education
from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from College of
Wooster.
§
Allen
L. Soyster, dean of the College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass. Soyster
has been a professor and dean of engineering at Northeastern since 1997, and was
previously professor and head of the industrial engineering department at Pennsylvania
State University from 1981 to 1996. He has a Ph.D. in operations research from Carnegie
Mellon University, a M.S. in industrial engineering and operations research from Cornell
University, and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Penn State.
The
Board of Regents will meet in executive session with the finalists during their campus
visits. Copies of finalists’ professional vitae are posted at http://www.sdbor.edu/pres/finalists.htm.
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