FAU announces finalists for next university president amid second search effort
After two days of candidate interviews from Jan. 16 to 17, Florida Atlantic University’s Board of Trustees Chair Piero Bussani announced the three finalists in the search for the university’s next president on Jan. 19.
The ongoing search for a new permanent president began on July 27, 2024, marking FAU’s Presidential Search Committee’s second attempt to select the university’s eighth president, after the first attempt failed due to a violation of Florida law on Oct. 30, 2023. The first search initially took place after former President John Kelly stepped down; Interim President Stacy Volnick has held her temporary position since Jan. 1, 2023.
In a University Press interview on Sept. 23, 2024, with Volnick, she said her contract wouldn’t prevent her from running for the permanent position but did not provide a clear answer on whether she would.
About five months after the second search started, which included extensive listening sessions led by the search firm Buffkin/Baker, the three finalists for the position are Michael Hartline, Adam Hasner and John Volin.
Hartline, who was a finalist in the first search that failed, is the dean and Charles A. Bruning Professor of Business Administration at Florida State University. Hasner is executive vice president of public policy for the GEO Group, a private prison company headquartered in Boca Raton, that has a history of a failed partnership with the university over the naming rights of what is now Flagler Credit Union Stadium. Volin is the executive vice president for Academic Affairs & Provost and a professor in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine.
Bussani wrote in a statement yesterday that these finalists will conduct public forums on campus, which are planned to be scheduled for the first week of February, before interviewing with the Board of Trustees. The next FAU Presidential Search Committee meeting will be on Jan. 27.
Michael Cook is the Managing Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email michael17cook@gmail.com.
Latest University Press
- Softball: FAU wins first regional game in nine yearsOn May 16, Florida Atlantic’s softball team (44-10, 23-4 AAC) competed against the Georgia Tech University Yellow Jackets (27-22, 10-11 ACC) in the Gainesville Regional at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, coming out victorious after eight innings with a final score of 5-4. While the Owls have not matched up against the Yellow Jackets since 2015,...
- Football: Three former FAU players go undrafted in the NFLThis year’s National Football League Draft took place on April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. While no former Florida Atlantic players were drafted, three have signed as “undrafted rookie free agents” with NFL teams. All three of these players attended the university’s Pro Day on March 25 and showcased their best agility, speed and strength...
- Farewell from UP Editor-In-Chief Sofia De La EspriellaI was very hesitant to write this letter because I’ll never forget that in one of my first journalism lessons in Colombia, the professor kept repeating: “Journalists are never the news. We are never in the spotlight.” But in this case, I felt the need to say goodbye properly and thank you. Three years ago,...
- FAU seeks input from faculty and staff in search of a new provostFlorida Atlantic University administrators hosted two listening sessions on April 30 to seek out qualities faculty and staff hope to find in the search for the new permanent provost to oversee academic affairs at the university. According to the FAU website, the provost leads the Office of the Provost, which “provides leadership to achieve excellence...
- Against all odds: FAU student Damian Richter’s journey with autismAfter being diagnosed with mild to moderate autism spectrum disorder a month before his third birthday, Florida Atlantic University student Damian Richter is a living testimony to others that their disability does not define them. Autism spectrum disorder is a condition that affects how people communicate, interact with others and view the world. One in...
- FAU tree study hub: Experts discuss tree preservation and health benefitsThe “Tree of Life” is a classic study hotspot on the Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton campus. This tropical Ficus tree has a long history, with names carved into its pale brown bark and aerial roots stretching down from its branches in hopes of anchoring in the soil. For college students, this outdoor desk in...