Over 90 people apply for top job at the University of Hawai'i: Big Island Now

The search for the next president of the University of Hawaii's 10-campus system is proceeding as planned, with finalists for the position expected to be announced next month, according to UH Board of Regents Chairman Gabriel Lee.

During the Board of Trustees meeting on August 15, Lee reported that there were more than 90 applicants for the position. How many finalists will be selected is currently unknown.

“The Regents are grateful to the Presidential Search Advisory Group (PSAG) for their hard work in reviewing the applications and look forward to their recommendations and the next phase of the search,” Lee said. “The Board plans to publicly announce the finalists in September and will hold a series of public forums to introduce them to all of our stakeholders.

“This gives those involved the opportunity to provide feedback to the regents, who then make the final selection.”

The schedule for the public forums, expected to take place in mid- to late September, will be announced after the finalists are announced. All 11 regents serve on the search committee and are expected to appoint the new president in October or November, with the term set to begin in early 2025.

Nationwide recruitment by WittKieffer, the executive search firm hired by the Board of Regents, officially launched in late May. The new president will replace President David Lassner, who announced in September that he would retire at the end of 2024.

The PSAG is comprised of 12 stakeholders from across the UH system and the local community. In addition to reviewing applications and recommending finalists, the group helped develop the leadership profile and job description, which were based on feedback from six public forums on four islands and a public survey.

The UH system with 10 campuses is Hawaii's only public higher education system. More than 9,200 employees serve approximately 48,000 students.