South Dakota Board of Regents
For release: Friday, Feb. 20, 2004
For more information: Janelle Toman, 773-3455

PIERRE – Four candidates are finalists to become the next president at Northern State University, the South Dakota Board of Regents’ search committee announced Friday.

Regent Pat Lebrun, who chairs the search process, said the four finalists are visiting the Aberdeen campus Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 23-24) for scheduled meetings with campus constituents. A presidential search has been under way since last October to replace John Hilpert, who resigned to become president of Delta State University in Mississippi.

The finalists announced Friday are:

• Betsy Vogel Boze, assistant to the president, Tulane University, New Orleans, La.  Boze was awarded an American Council on Education Fellowship in 2003 to serve as assistant to the Tulane president. For 10 years she has served as dean of the School of Business and professor of marketing at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, where she developed a number of new academic programs and doubled enrollment. She served as master planner for the University of Texas System’s TeleCampus, serves as the chief academic officer for the TeleCampus’ MBA Online Program, and has served on many system-wide committees and task forces for the University of Texas System. She was faculty senate president, department chair, and associate professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Boze has an undergraduate degree in psychology and M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University. Her Ph.D. in marketing is from the University of Arkansas.
  
• Samuel B. Gingerich, interim president, Mesa State College, Grand Junction, Colo. Gingerich has been interim president at Mesa State since January 2003, where he is also vice president for academic affairs and professor of chemistry. Before coming to Colorado, Gingerich spent 13 years at Northern State University, serving in various capacities, including vice president of academic affairs, associate vice president, professor of chemistry, and department chair. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Goshen College, a master’s degree in chemistry from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Montana State University.
  
• Robert E. Houston, vice president for academic affairs, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Ark. Houston has been academic affairs vice president at Henderson State since 1995 and served for several months in 2001 as the university’s acting president. He previously held posts at Texas A&M University as arts and sciences dean, music department head, and assistant dean. Houston holds a bachelor’s degree in music and doctor of musical arts degree in percussion performance, both from the University of North Texas. His master’s degree in percussion performance is from the University of Miami.
  
• Patrick J. Schloss, acting president, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, Penn. Schloss has held his present position at Bloomsburg for the past semester, and since 2000 served as provost and vice president for academic affairs. He served the university as assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies from 1994 to 1999. His higher education career also includes administrative and academic appointments at the University of Missouri and The Pennsylvania State University. He has a B.S. degree in special education and M.S. in counseling, both from Illinois State University, and a Ph.D. in rehabilitation psychology from the University of Wisconsin.

Copies of finalists’ professional vitae will be posted at http://www.sdbor.edu/pres/NSU/finalists.htm. 

The Board of Regents will meet in executive session with the finalists during their campus visits. While in executive session, the Board of Regents will also consult with legal counsel on unrelated matters. No action will be taken at this meeting.

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(Editors/News Directors: These finalists will NOT be available for public comment or interviews until a candidate is named to fill the post of NSU president.)