Contact: Anthony de Bruyn, (512) 499-4363

Date: April 19, 2004

UT System News Release

Finalists Named for President of U.T. Pan American

AUSTIN – The University of Texas Board of Regents named seven finalists on Monday (April 19) for the presidency of the University of Texas-Pan American.

The Board announced the finalists after considering recommendations of an advisory committee that reviewed nominations and applications for the position.

Under state law, university governing boards must name finalists for a presidency at least 21 days before making an appointment. A meeting at which the U.T. System board will make a final decision has not yet been scheduled.

The finalists are:

(Please click on the names below for the corresponding cirriculum vitae or on the photos below for high resolution.)

	Dr. Blandina Cardenas, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, U.T. San Antonio. Dr. Cardenas is also a professor of educational leadership and previously was an executive at the American Council on Education and served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
	Dr. Lynda Y. de la Viña, associate dean and director of the graduate division of business and management and chair of the Department of Finance and International Business, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. de la Viña, an economist, is also a senior policy advisor with the U.S.-Mexico Foundation & U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. She is a former deputy assistant secretary for economic policy development coordination in the U.S. Department of the Treasury and also a former associate dean of the College of Business at U.T. San Antonio.
	Dr. Tim Hudson, provost and vice president for academic affairs, the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Hudson is also professor of geography and executive director of the Center for International and Continuing Education.
	Dr. Herman Lujan, provost and vice president for academic affairs, California State University, Los Angeles. He is also a professor of political science. Dr. Lujan previously served as president of the University of Northern Colorado and was an administrator and faculty member at the University of Washington and the University of Kansas.
	Dr. Lois Muir, provost and vice president for academic affairs, University of Montana. Dr. Muir, a psychologist, is a former administrator and faculty member at Kent State University, Kennesaw State University, and the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse.
	Dr. Richard A. Navarro, a senior project officer for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Dr. Navarro was dean of the College of Education and Integrative Studies at California State Polytechnic University and was a former faculty member at Michigan State University.
	Dr. Fernando M. Treviño, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Treviño is also professor of health management and policy and previously served as a faculty member at Texas State University, U.T. Health Science Center at Houston, and U.T. Medical Branch-Galveston. He is a former executive director of the American Public Health Association.

"The finalists whom the Board of Regents has named today are distinguished leaders capable of taking U.T. Pan American to a higher level of prominence in teaching, research, and public service," said Board of Regents' Chairman Charles Miller. "We look forward to interviews with the finalists and to receiving input from campus and community constituencies as we move toward the appointment of the next president."

"The selection of finalists for the U.T. Pan American presidency has been undertaken by the board with full awareness that the appointment of a new president for this great institution is one of the most important decisions that we will make. We have selected the finalists from among an exemplary group of candidates, and on behalf of the board I would like to thank all the candidates who have taken part in this lengthy and detailed process," Miller said.

Campus visits by the finalists will be scheduled soon and will include meetings with students, staff, faculty, department chairs, deans, alumni, and community members.

The new president will succeed Dr. Miguel Nevárez, who announced his retirement from the presidency on August 22 after serving the institution for the past 32 years.

The University of Texas-Pan American is one of nine academic universities and six health institutions that comprise the University of Texas System, the state's largest higher education system. The U.T. System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually. U.T. Pan American is the 10th largest university in the state and the fifth largest in the U.T. System. It is second in the nation in the number of bachelor's degrees and fifth in the number of master's degrees awarded to Hispanics and is ranked second in the nation by Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education's list of the 100 best U.S. colleges for Hispanics.

Website for U.T. Pan American: http://www.panam.edu/
Link to Pan Am presidential search: http://www.panam.edu/presidentialsearch/

Related news releases :

Advisory Committee Named for Presidential Search at UT Pan American (10/29/03)