Students and faculty members will have the chance to meet the next dean of the College of Business in upcoming weeks, as the three candidates participate in open forums on campus.

The first of three candidates for the vacant dean position, James L. Koch, director of the Center for Science, Technology and Society at Santa Clara University, Calif., will speak Friday at 3:30 p.m. in 205 Carver Hall.

The other two candidates are Ronald P. Hill, professor of social responsibility at the University of Portland, and Kenneth R. Evans, associate dean of marketing at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Each candidate’s visit will include an open forum during which the public can ask questions of the applicants. The sessions will include a section devoted to the topic of diversity.

Alicia Carriquiry, associate provost and professor of statistics, said devoting time to diversity is an important part of the hiring process.

“Because this institution takes diversity very seriously, we feel it is important to send the message to the visiting candidates that a successful dean will be expected to enhance diversity in all missions of the college,” she said.

Hill’s open forum is April 8; Evans is scheduled for April 11. Both are at 3:30 p.m. in 205 Carver Hall.

“All three candidates have excellent scholarly records and teaching credentials, administrative experience at the department and college levels, and, because of their backgrounds and areas of expertise, will all fit very well in a land grant institution such as ours,” Carriquiry said.

The new dean will have many responsibilities in his new role, one of which will be overseeing the transition of the college into the new Gerdin Business Building.

Dean of Education Walter Gmelch, member of the search committee for the new dean, said all three candidates will “move the college ahead.” Also, the person who gets the position will be the one who fits in best, he said.

“It’s like a marriage. You are looking for the right fit with the personality of the college,” Gmelch said. “I think you find that by having the candidates come to campus and meet the college community.”

After all three candidates have had a chance to meet with as many people at Iowa State as possible, a final decision will be made by President Gregory Geoffroy.

Provost Rollin Richmond will be Geoffroy’s main consultation on the matter.

“I do not think [Geoffroy] and I will have any difficulty coming to an agreement. I expect he and I will see it the same way,” Richmond said.

The new dean will be a successor to Ben Allen, who was appointed interim vice president for external affairs, after Murray Blackwelder left. Allen has decided not to return to the position when his interim term ends July 1.