University Communications and Marketing

April 15, 2014

Contacts:
Terry Leist, VP Admin & Finance, MSU, (406) 994-4361 or tleist@montana.edu
Aaron Clingingsmith, Director University Relations, MSUB (406) 657-2243 or aaron.clingingsmith@msubillings.edu

The public will have opportunities to meet the finalists for the position of chancellor
during public forums to be held at MSUB from April 21-April 30.

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — Candidates from Texas, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin are finalists for the position of Montana State University Billings chancellor, officials announced today.

The candidates will visit Billings for interviews and open public forums from April 21 – April 25.

The finalists are, in order of their visit to campus: Ricardo Maestas, special assistant to the chancellor in the Texas State University System in Austin; Michael Droge, president at Park University in Kansas City, Missouri; Margaret Madden, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam; and Mark Nook, senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs in the University of Wisconsin System in Madison.

Terry Leist, MSU's vice president for administration and finance and chair of the 18-member committee searching for MSU Billings’ chancellor, said each of the finalists impressed the search committee with their potential to fill this pivotal position within the Montana University System.

"We had an excellent pool of candidates and these four finalists showed particular strength,” Leist said. “I think students, faculty, staff and community members will be impressed by what these finalists have to offer.”

The chancellor is an important member of MSU's senior leadership team and reports to MSU President Waded Cruzado.  A summary of the candidates' backgrounds, and date and time of each of their public forums follows:

Ricardo Maestas, special assistant to the chancellor in the Texas State University System. Maestas is also a professor in the College of Professional Studies at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. Previously, Maestas held positions at Sul Ross State University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, University of New Mexico and University of Michigan.  Maestas has a doctorate from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  Maestas’ open forum will be held at 4:30 p.m., Monday, April 21, in Library 148.

Michael Droge, president at Park University in Parkville, MO. Droge also held positions as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of biology at Park University. Previously, Droge held positions at Texas Woman’s University. Droge has a doctorate in physiology and biophysics from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas. Droge’s open forum will be held at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 22, in Library 148.

Margaret Madden, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of psychology at State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam. Previously, Madden held positions at Long Island University, Lawrence University and Franklin Pierce College.  Madden has a doctorate from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in psychology. Madden’s open forum will be held at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 23, in Library 148.

Mark Nook, senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Wisconsin System in Madison, Wisconsin.  Nook previously held positions at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and St. Cloud State University. Nook has a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Nook’s open forum will be held at 4:30 p.m., Friday, April 25, in Library 148.

Leist said the search committee hopes to have a new MSU Billings chancellor in place by July 1. Chancellor Rolf Groseth will retire following the 87th annual commencement ceremony on May 3, 2014.