Three men, including one internal candidate, have been named finalists in the search to replace retiring Missouri State University President Clif Smart.
In information posted on its website, MSU said the Board of Governors will interview:
•John Jasinski. He has served as provost for Missouri State since 2022, and was president of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville for 13 years prior. He has a doctorate in educational leadership and higher education from the University of Nebraska, as well as a master’s degree in interpersonal and public communication and bachelor’s degree in broadcast and cinematic arts/interpersonal and public communication, both from Central Michigan University.
•Roger Thompson. He is vice president for student services and enrollment management for the University of Oregon. He has worked for Oregon for the last 14 years, and was the vice provost for enrollment management, and special advisor to the president, at Indiana University before that. He has a doctorate in higher education policy and administration from the University of Southern California, as well as a master’s degree from the University of Central Missouri and a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from California State University in Long Beach.
•Richard “Biff” Williams. He was the president of Utah Tech University in St. George for 10 years, stepping down in early 2024. He previously worked at Indiana State University as provost and vice president for academic affairs, where he was founding dean of its College of Nursing, Health and Human Services. He also worked as an associate dean for the University of Northern Iowa’s College of Education. He has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University, as well as a master’s degree in athletic training from Indiana State University and a bachelor’s degree in lifestyle management from Weber State University.
Each candidate will visit the Springfield campus for a two-day interview process, which will include a drive east to visit the West Plains campus that serves south-central Missouri, including Texas County. The interviews with finalists are expected to be conducted during the weeks of Feb. 12 and Feb. 26, and will include sessions for the public to participate.
Dates and times are yet to be announced. More information will be posted on MSU’s presidential search website.
MSU announced Jan. 9 that 48 people applied for the position of president, from which President Clif Smart is retiring after 13 years.
Eleven of those applicants were chosen for semi-finalist interviews with a search committee. After a round of interviews at a Kansas City hotel near Kansas City International Airport, four candidates were recommended as finalists, according to the update on Jan. 9.
Apparently one candidate withdrew before the recent announcement.
The semi-finalists held diverse backgrounds in race, age, gender, geographic region, professional backgrounds and size of the institutions where they have worked.
“The search has been tremendous,” said Rob Fulp, chair of the search committee who is an MSU alum and regional managing director with Great Southern Bank. “We have had excellent, high-quality candidates.”
According to the MSU website from the 2022 press release announcing his appointment, Jasinski earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and higher education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to leading Northwest Missouri State as president, he worked as a chief academic officer, associate provost, department chair and faculty member. His teaching and research responsibilities focused on mass media, broadcast communication, and communication theories and law.
He was brought in to team with Zora Mulligan, who had been named executive vice president of MSU but lacked the academic background typically expected to manage academic affairs and supervise academic deans.