Former Gov. Sandoval among 4 finalists for UNR presidency
A search committee will interview four finalists for University of Nevada, Reno president — including former Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval — next week.
Finalists are Sandoval, Chaden Djalali, Jennifer Evans-Cowley and Jonathan Koppell. They’ll participate in UNR forums Sept. 14-15.
A Nevada System of Higher Education UNR president search committee will meet at 10 a.m. Sept. 16 to conduct interviews in Ballrooms A and B at UNR’s Joe Crowley Student Union in Reno. Interviews will take place during a public meeting, but in-person attendance is limited to 25 people per room, according to the meeting agenda.
The search committee may make a hiring recommendation to the full NSHE Board of Regents. The board is slated to consider hiring a new president during a meeting at 1 p.m. Sept. 17, which will be held via videoconference.
In October 2019, current UNR President Marc Johnson announced he planned to leave his job in June to return to a professor position. But this spring, NSHE regents voted to extend Johnson’s contract through Dec. 31 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sandoval, who has a juris doctorate, is a 1986 UNR alumnus who served as Nevada governor from 2011-19. He won UNR’s University Alumni of the Year award in 2004.
In April, Sandoval announced he was leaving his position at MGM Resorts International to focus on pursuing the UNR presidency.
Djalali, who has a doctoral degree in nuclear physics, was executive vice president and provost at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, until early this year.
Evans-Cowley — who has a doctoral degree in urban and regional science — is provost and vice president of academic affairs at University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.
Koppell — who has a doctoral degree in political science — is dean of Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
It has been a busy year for NSHE, which has experienced plenty of turnover among its leadership. A search process is also underway for a new president at Nevada State College in Henderson, with president search forums scheduled for Oct. 1.
New NSHE Chancellor Melody Rose started on the job Sept. 1 and new UNLV President Keith Whitfield started Aug. 24.
Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.