Pool of USF candidates pared down

ST. PETERSBURG -- The future leader of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg could be the president of a historically black school in Georgia or a tiny liberal arts college in Illinois.

Or the new campus executive could be a high-ranking administrator from a large state school, such as Arizona State University or the University of Akron.

The committee searching for a vice president and campus executive officer narrowed the list of finalists to five Monday. Three were finalists for president at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan got that job in January.

Despite other Florida universities' willingness to compromise on the academic background of applicants, committee members agreed that their new leader needs to have an advanced degree and a strong research background.

"We have very, very talented people," said Mark Wilson, the professor leading the search committee. "What we're trying to do now is imagine what is best for the university."

It is a crucial time for the growing campus. USF St. Petersburg is trying to win separate accreditation from the main campus in Tampa while significantly expanding its enrollment, which now stands at 4,000 students.

"So much is happening," said Ann Wilkins Duncan, chairwoman of the campus' regional board. "It's a unique combination. We need someone with a strong understanding of a research institution who also can oversee growth."

The new leader will administer an annual budget of $33-million at the waterfront campus and would report to USF president Judy Genshaft.

The five finalists are:

Terry L. Hickey, 58, senior vice president and provost at the University of Akron, which has 25,000 students. He has been a presidential finalist at FAU, the University of Southern Mississippi and Southwest Texas State University.

Gary Krahenbuhl, 59, senior vice president at Arizona State University, which has more than 65,000 students at five campuses. He also was a finalist at FAU, and was considered for a top administration job at USF under former president Betty Castor.

Portia Holmes Shields, 64, president at Albany State University, a historically black school with 3,500 students. Last year, she was considered for the job of chancellor of Florida's university system.

Karen A. White, 51, dean, professor of music and graduate faculty member of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, which has 14,000 students. She was a finalist for the provost position at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Richard S. Millman, 57, program director of the Division of Mathematical Sciences at the National Science Foundation. He was president of Knox College, a private college in Illinois with 1,120 students.

The 17-member search committee will interview the five finalists in the next several weeks and recommend three applicants to Genshaft. She will consult with the campus board and interview one or two of the candidates before making a decision.

Genshaft said she is satisfied with the five finalists. She said they possess qualities that would allow them to form strong community ties with the city and Chamber of Commerce while instilling a strong research focus.

The applicants are vying to replace Bill Heller, who stepped down last year after leading the campus through a decade of tremendous change and growth.

The new campus leader is expected to arrive in St. Petersburg in the summer as the school gears up for a fall semester with eight new administrators, 54 new faculty members and some of the thousands of new students expected to enroll there in coming years.

-- Times researcher Kitty Bennett contributed to this report.

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