The University of Iowa has temporarily suspended its search for a new associate provost and dean of the Graduate College four months into the hunt.
Current dean, Amanda Haertling Thein, announced in January that she is going to be the dean of the school of education at her alma mater, the University of Colorado, Boulder.
A university news release said the school offered the job to one of two finalists who “elected to pursue another opportunity.” The university did not specify which candidate the position was offered to.
The two finalists were announced in April − Jon Houtman, a professor and vice chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Carver College of Medicine, and Jennifer Blackhurst, an associate dean for graduate and professional programs and Leonard A. Hadley Chair at the Tippie College of Business.
“We appreciate the engagement of our campus community throughout the search process,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel in the release. “While we’re disappointed the finalist chose not to move forward, we respect their decision and remain focused on identifying the next leader for the Graduate College.”
Houtman and Blackhurst were selected by an 11-person selection committee co-chaired by Ann McKenna, dean of the College of Engineering, and Adam Dupuy, associate professor of anatomy and cell biology.
New graduate college dean was expected to start on July 1
The appointed dean was anticipated to begin their tenure on July 1, according to the University of Iowa, and continue through June 2030.
The university has not yet announced when the search will resume, but “an interim associate provost and dean will be appointed to serve until a new dean is in place.”
College of Law dean search to resume by the fall of 2025
The search for a new dean of the University of Iowa’s College of Law is also “temporarily suspended” and is expected to resume in the fall.
The university announced in December that it was pausing its search to replace College of Law dean Kevin Washburn, who had held the position since 2018. The school said they need more time to make a decision.
The national search for a College of Law dean began in July 2024. The university identified three finalists, including: Rebecca Ernst Zietlow, interim dean of the University of Toledo College of Law in Toledo; Melissa Mortazavi, the Second Century Presidential Professor of Law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law in Norman, Oklahoma, and Lumen (Lou) N. Mulligan, dean and professor of law at the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law.
Ultimately, the UI did not select one of the three candidates to replace Washburn.
“We are grateful for the three candidates who visited our campus and engaged with our university,” Kregel said in a news release. “While each made a strong case, we felt that we needed to step back and take some additional time to make sure we find the right leader for Iowa Law.”
Washburn announced in May 2024 that he was leaving at the end of the calendar year with plans to “return to the classroom and his research.” He is currently on leave for the spring semester.
Washburn was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an organization founded by the Founding Fathers, including John Hancock and John Adams.
Todd Pettys, an H. Blair and Joan V. White Chair in Civil Litigation, is serving as interim College of Law dean until a new dean is in place.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Find out why the University of Iowa paused its dean search for the graduate college
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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