Iowa State’s search committee for a new vice president for external affairs began reviewing applications Monday.

Benjamin Allen, dean of the College of Business and chairman of the committee, said the committee will continue to receive nominations and applications until it presents a final candidate list to university President Martin Jischke in February.

Allen said the February deadline set by Jischke is “challenging, but it can be done. We will make every effort to meet the deadline.”

Reid Crawford resigned the position in August after 14 years at ISU to become vice president for institutional advancement at the University of Maryland. Murray Blackwelder, associate vice president for external affairs and president of the ISU Foundation, has been serving as an interim for the position since September.

Allen said he is pleased with the applications the committee has received. He said the number of applications meets his expectations and the applicants are of good quality. The search, he said, will probably generate more than 50 applications.

A diverse number of candidates is important because the position has such a diversity of responsibilities, “from athletics to alumni,” Allen said.

“We have been getting strong nominations and now the task is to get down to getting the list shorter,” he added.