Photo by Terrance Coakley.

The UCF Board of Trustees approved the group of 15 individuals who will help choose UCF’s next president, UCF Board of Trustees Chair Beverly Seay announced Wednesday.

The 15-member committee will help narrow down the applicants and identify several finalists for the Board of Trustees to consider.

“This search will be inclusive, collaborative and transparent,” Seay said in a Wednesday news release. “Together, we will seek out candidates who would accelerate UCF’s trajectory in academic and research excellence, student success, diversity and inclusion and strengthening our community through partnerships.”

Here are the members of the Presidential Search Committee:

  • Trustee Beverly Seay
    BOT Chair, Search Committee Chair
  • Trustee Alex Martins
    BOT Vice Chair, Search Committee Vice Chair
  • Trustee William Self, Ph.D.
    Associate Professor, College of Medicine
  • Governor Timothy Cerio
    Florida Board of Governors
  • Michael Georgiopoulos, Ph.D.
    Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Victoria Loerzel, Ph.D., RN, OCN
    Associate Professor, College of Nursing
  • Stella Sung, Ph.D.
    Pegasus Professor, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Madeline Mills
    Student Body Vice President
  • Timothy Hill
    Graduate Student and Member, President’s Leadership Council
  • Cyndia Morales Muñiz, Ed.D.
    Director, UCF HSI Culture and Partnerships
  • Kathleen Plinske, Ed.D.
    Executive Vice President and Provost, Valencia College
  • John Euliano
    Chair, UCF Foundation Board
  • Andre Garcia, Ph.D.
    Member, UCF Alumni Board
  • Barbara Jenkins, Ed.D.
    Superintendent, Orange County Public Schools
  • David Odahowski
    President and CEO, Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation

“The committee members represent our students, faculty and staff, UCF’s Foundation and Alumni boards, and the Central Florida community – and they know our university well,” Seay said. “The committee was formed based on the requirements from the Florida Board of Governors’ and UCF Board of Trustees’ search guidelines.”

The committee’s first task will be to gather feedback from the UCF community on what qualities are most important in a university president.

The first search committee meeting will be held on Nov. 5 at 9 a.m. at the UCF Mogridge International Reading Center. The meeting will be open to the public and available online.

“Selecting the next president is the most important decision our Board of Trustees will make,” Seay said in the release. “And I know our search will be stronger because of your contributions.”

The Board of Trustees aims to have a new university president start by summer 2020.