Finalists Announced for MSU Billings Chancellor Search
Contacts:
John E. Cech, deputy commissioner of academic, research, and student affairs, Montana’s
Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
(406) 670-0848, jcech@montana.edu
Tracy Ellig, executive director of university communications, Montana State University
(406) 994-5607, tellig@montana.edu
MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — Candidates from Colorado, Montana, Texas, and Wisconsin are finalists for the position
of Montana State University Billings chancellor, university officials announced today.
The candidates will visit Billings for interviews and open public forums between Feb.
20 and Feb. 26. While on campus, they will meet with administrators, faculty, representatives
from alumni relations and the foundation, and student groups from across the university.
The 18-member search committee was impressed by the depth and strength of the pool
of applicants, said John Cech, search committee chair and deputy commissioner of academic,
research, and student affairs for Montana’s Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.
“The campus and the community will enjoy meeting these finalists,” Cech said. “This
is a very strong slate of finalists.”
The finalists are, in order of their visits to campus: Carmen Simone, president of
Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad and Alamosa, Colorado; Dan Edelman, executive
vice president of administration and chief financial officer of the University of
North Texas at Dallas; Susan Elrod, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic
affairs at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater; and Ron Larsen, interim chancellor
of Montana State University Billings.
The date and time of each candidate’s public forums and receptions follows with brief
biographical descriptions. For their full CVs, visit the MSUB Chancellor Search website. This site will also provide live stream of the public forums.
Carmen Simone is currently the president of Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad
and Alamosa, Colorado, a post she has held since 2013. Simone holds a doctorate in
chemistry from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Prior to her presidency
at Trinidad State Junior College, Simone was provost and vice president for academic
affairs at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, from 2011 to 2013. Simone’s
open forum will be held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, in Petro Theater followed by
a reception at 5:30 p.m. in the Beartooth Room in the Student Union Building.
Dan Edelman is currently the executive vice president of administration and chief
financial officer of the University of North Texas at Dallas, a post he has held since
2014. Edelman holds a doctorate in mathematics education with an accounting related
dissertation from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Prior to his vice
presidency at the University of North Texas, Edelman held progressive leadership positions
at Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas, between 2007 and 2014 culminating in a
position as associate provost and vice president of academic affairs. Edelman’s open
forum will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, in Petro Theater followed by a
reception at 5:30 p.m. in the Beartooth Room in the Student Union Building.
Susan Elrod is currently provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs
at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a post she has held since 2016. Elrod holds
a doctorate in genetics from the University of California, Davis. Prior to serving
as provost at the University of Wisconsin, Elrod was interim provost and vice president
for academic affairs at California State University, Chico, from 2014 to 2016. Elrod’s
open forum will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, in Petro Theater followed
by a reception at 5:30 p.m. in the Beartooth Room in the Student Union Building.
Ron Larsen is currently the interim chancellor of Montana State University Billings,
a post he has held since 2017. Larsen holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from
Pennsylvania State University in State College. Prior to serving as interim chancellor
at Montana State University Billings, Larsen was associate provost at Montana State
University in Bozeman from 2011 to 2017. Larsen’s open forum will be held at 4:30
p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, in Petro Theater followed by a reception at 5:30 p.m. in the
Beartooth Room in the Student Union Building.
View the campus map.
The university hopes to have the new chancellor beginning July 1.
