USM Chancellor Perman Appoints Presidential Search Committee for University of Maryland Global Campus
Baltimore, MD (Sept. 1, 2020) – University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Jay A. Perman has appointed the search and screening committee for the new president of University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC).After successfully leading UMGC for the past eight years, when the institution was known previously as University of Maryland University College, Javier Miyares recently announced his plans to retire as UMGC president upon the appointment of a successor.
In beginning the search for Miyares’ replacement, the USM Board of Regents has committed itself to finding a successor who will continue UMGC’s impressive trajectory, its ready embrace of pioneering innovation, and its leadership in leveraging technology to improve academic quality and college access.
USM Regent Sam Molhatra will chair the UMGC Presidential Search and Screening Committee, which has been chosen to reflect the UMGC 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.
“I’m grateful to Regent Molhatra for taking on this important role, leading the group that will identify a successor to President Miyares,” Chancellor Perman said. “UMGC was transformed under Javier’s leadership. The university’s enrollment expanded, as did its academic programs, strategic partnerships, and collaborations with sister institutions in the USM.
“UMGC is the nation’s largest online public university and, in fact, one of the U.S.’s largest providers of higher education, period. Its diversity of students—including adult students in the workforce and U.S. military—reflects our mission to educate the citizens of Maryland and beyond. The selection of UMGC’s next president is therefore critically important not only to the university, but to the System, to the state, and to the country,” Perman said.
The members of the committee are:
- Sam Malhotra (Search Committee Chair)—Regent, University System of Maryland
- Antoinne Beidleman—UMGC Staff Council Chair
- Richard F. Blewitt—UMGC Alumnus
- Elizabeth Brunn—Program Director and Council of University System Faculty Chair
- John Campbell—Lt. General (Ret.), United States Air Force
- James Cronin—Vice President and Director, UMGC Asia
- Patricia Florestano—Community member, former Board of Regents Chair, former Maryland Secretary of Higher Education
- Reynaldo Garcia—Professor and Program Director, UMGC Faculty
- Sandra Garcia— Graduate Student, UMGC Asia
- Geoff Gonella—USM Board of Regents
- Douglas Harrison—Vice President and Dean, UMGC School of Cybersecurity and Information Technology
- Blair Hayes—UMGC Ombudsman, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
- Bernetta Reese—Executive Committee Chair, UMGC Student Advisory Council
- Liliya Roberts—Program Director and UMGC Academic Advisory Board Chair
- William Roberts—Vice Chair, UMUC Ventures Board
- Patricia Toregas—UMGC Adjunct Professor of Marketing
- Ellen Herbst—Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, USM, and Chancellor’s Liaison to the Search Committee
The committee will work with the leadership recruiting firm Korn Ferry.
“With the appointment of this search committee, I will conduct a series of listening sessions with UMGC stakeholder groups and host a town hall open to anyone who wishes to participate,” Perman said. “These events will help the search committee and the board better understand what qualities the UMGC community wants in its next leader and gather perspectives on the university’s direction, challenges, and strategic advantages. Information on these events is forthcoming; given current restrictions on in-person gatherings, they will be held via videoconference.”
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.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu