Search Committee Members

H.C. Buck Niehoff, Chair, University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees will also chair the committee that will identify and recommend the next president of the University of Cincinnati. The committee will begin its work at an inaugural meeting March 30, and is expected to identify a candidate before the end of the calendar year.

The committee will include two trustees:
  • C. Francis Barrett, president of the Cincinnati law firm of Barrett & Weber
  • Sandra W. Heimann, vice president of American Financial Group

Two faculty representatives are:

  • Marla Hall, chair, University of Cincinnati Faculty
  • Stephen T. Kowel, professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Representing the university’s students are:

  • Diana Hechavarria, a member of the graduate student governance association, will serve as the graduate student representative
  • Janelle Wichmann, a member of the undergraduate student government, will serve as the undergraduate student representative

The university’s deans will be represented by:

  • Valerie Gray Hardcastle, dean of the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences
  • David Stern, dean of the College of Medicine

Other members include:

  • John A. West, judge, Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, has agreed to be a community representative to the committee
  • Jeffrey P. Williams will represent the UC Foundation
  • Chad P. Wick was selected by Chancellor Eric Fingerhut to represent the University System of Ohio

The following are ex-officio voting members as specified by University rule:

  • Jeff Wyler as the immediate past chairperson of the Board of Trustees
  • Steve Simendinger, as president of the UC Alumni Association

The search committee will be assisted in its work by Heidrick & Struggles, an international, premier provider of executive search and leadership consulting services. You may recall that it was this search firm that assisted in the recruitment of President Zimpher in 2003.