Search for new Drury president down to three

The three finalists are:

• John Sellars, Syracuse University senior vice president for institutional advancement;

• Janet McNew, Illinois Wesleyan University provost and dean of the faculty; and

• Sharon Smith, Fordham University dean of the schools of business and dean of the faculty of business.

“We are thrilled and very impressed with this group of finalists,” John Beuerlein, search committee chair, said in a release. “Each one of these people brings wonderful skills and talents to the table, yet each has his or her own unique strengths. It’s an exciting group,” Beuerlein said.

All three finalists were scheduled to visit the school last week.

Sellars was a finalist for Southwest Missouri State University’s search for successor to John Keiser. Michael T. Nietzel, University of Kentucky provost, was named to the post. Sellars has a strong fund-raising background, having increased donations at Syracuse from $45 million to $83 million a year over the last three years. He also led the planning of a $1 billion fund-raising campaign.

Smith excels in integrating programs that bridge cultural, administrative and academic boundaries as she overseas programs serving more than 3,300 students on four Fordham campuses in the United State and abroad. University officials say Smith’s global experiences are relevant to Drury’s Global Perspectives 21 core curriculum, which teaches a global society.

McNew’s strong suit is in creating liberal arts strategies. She believes that curiosity and imagination are fundamental to intellectual success.

Drury’s presidential search committee began evaluating 80 applications for the position in February, eventually coming up with a list of 11 candidates. Those candidates were narrowed to six and then to three through a series of off-campus interviews.

The committee will recommend one candidate to the board of trustees at its May 12–13 meeting. Drury President John E. Moore plans to retire at the end of May.