FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Suzanne Ernst (702) 889-8426

RENO -- A Nevada Board of Regents committee today selected 11 semi-finalists for consideration as the next president for the University of Nevada, Reno.

The Regent's ad hoc UNR Presidential Search Committee, which is chaired by Regent Douglas Roman Hill of Reno, announced the following candidates have been selected as semi-finalists:

• Joann A. Boughman, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland, Baltimore
  
• Roger W. Bowen, Ph.D., President, State University of New York, New Paltz
  
• Loren Crabtree, Ph.D., Provost and Academic Vice President, Colorado State University
  
• George E. Dambach, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, Wayne State University
  
• Richard Davenport, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, Central Michigan University
  
• George M. Dennison, Ph.D., President, University of Montana
  
• Robert D. Dryden, Ph.D., P.E., Vice Chancellor of the Oregon University System for the Oregon College of Engineering and Computer Science; also Dean of Engineering and Applied Science at Portland State University
  
• Juan N. Franco, Ph.D., Vice President for Administration, New Mexico State University
  
• Dan Johnson, Ph.D., Provost, University of Alaska, Anchorage
  
• John M. Lilley, D.M.A., Provost and Chief Executive Officer, Pennsylvania State University, Erie
  
• R. Michael Tanner, Ph. D., E.E., Interim Director, Silicon Valley Center; previously Executive Vice Chancellor, University of California, Santa Cruz

"I believe the people of Nevada will be impressed with the quality of this candidate pool," said Hill. "We are looking forward to meeting and learning more about these fine individuals and selecting one to lead the University of Nevada, Reno into the new millennium."

In addition to Hill, members of the Board committee include Regents Jill Derby, Thalia Dondero, Dorothy Gallagher and Howard Rosenberg. A 17-member, non-voting advisory committee comprising faculty, staff, student and community members also played a role in the selection process.

The Regents' committee, which began the search process last August, will be reviewing candidate references with hopes of narrowing the list to a group of finalists at the committee's March 5 meeting.

Hill anticipates the committee will bring forward a final recommendation to the full Board of Regents on April 19.

The University of Nevada, Reno, was founded in 1874 as the state's land grant public institution. It is the oldest of seven institutions within the UCCSN. The university has an operating budget of approximately $300 million and enrolls 13,000 students in 10 schools and colleges – agriculture, biotechnology and natural resources, arts and science, business, education, engineering, human and community sciences, journalism, medicine, mining and graduate studies.

Comprising two doctoral-granting universities, four comprehensive community colleges and one environmental research institution, the University and Community College System of Nevada serves the educational and job training needs of the nation's fastest growing state. As Nevada's only system of higher education, the UCCSN provides educational opportunities to nearly 100,000 students.