Doug Epperson was the last of five dean finalists for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to hold an open forum on Monday.

Epperson, who is currently the dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Washington State University, discussed how the challenges he has faced at Washington State have prepared him for the role of dean of LAS at Iowa State.

Washington State has faced a 61 percent cut of state appropriations. Dealing with these major budget cuts, Epperson has “learned the importance of being strategic.”

“I have a deep, emotional attachment to the university and to the Ames community,” Epperson said, who was previously the associate dean for administration of LAS at Iowa State.

Epperson hopes to “assure quality and integrity in all that the college does” and believes that his inclusive and collaborative leadership style will help keep LAS at a high standard even during times of tighter budgets.

If chosen as the new dean, Epperson’s visions for LAS include a “diversity of people, ideas and disciplines” as well as a “congruence with the university’s land grant and broader missions and goals.”