3 PennWest president finalists will be in Edinboro this week. Meet the candidates at public forums.

Valerie Myers, Erie Times-News
·2 min read

EDINBORO — Three finalists for Pennsylvania Western University president will visit the university's three campuses this week.

The candidates will meet with staff, faculty and students at the Edinboro, Clarion and California campuses and with the public in afternoon forums that also will be accessible via Zoom.

The candidates

  • Jon Anderson, professor, provost and vice president for academic affairs, Southern Utah University, and previously president for academic affairs at Middle Georgia State University. He has a doctorate in business administration from the University of Kentucky, a master's in business education from the (State) University of West Georgia and a bachelor's degree in sociology from Utah State University.

  • Philip Cavalier, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, University of Tennessee at Martin. He previously was provost and vice president of academic services at Lyon College in Arkansas. He has a doctorate in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a master's in English from Northeastern University and a bachelor's in economics from Swarthmore College.

  • Wade Weast, founding dean, College of the Arts, Georgia State University. He previously directed the university's School of Music, was the university's associate dean for fine arts and was dean of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He has a doctorate in musical arts from Stony Brook University in New York, a master's in music from Manhattan School of Music and a bachelor's in music from the State University of New York at Fredonia.

"The search committee worked diligently through a robust applicant pool to identify three highly qualified and experienced leaders who are poised to lead our institution forward," said Larry Maggi, chairman of the university's presidential search committee.

The committee reviewed 35 applications for president and interviewed 11 of the applicants.

Detailed biographies of the finalists are posted on the PennWest University website presidential search pages.

The Edinboro visits

Weast will be at the Edinboro campus on April 22, Cavalier on April 23 and Anderson on April 24.

Their schedules will include meetings with faculty, staff and students as well as a 2:30 p.m. public forum on the seventh floor of Baron-Forness Library. Zoom links for the public forums are posted at www.pennwest.edu/president-search.

What's next

The presidential search committee will review feedback from campus constituencies and the public following the campus visits.

The committee then will make its recommendation to the PennWest Council of Trustees, which will submit two names to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors for consideration.

The Board of Governors will select the university's next president.

The new president is expected to begin duties at PennWest on July 1.

In February: PennWest trustees approve committee to search for a new university leader

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 3 PennWest president finalists will visit Edinboro this week