Iowa State will begin its search for a new senior vice president for student affairs.

Peter Gitau, who holds a doctorate in higher education policy and administration, is currently the vice president for student affairs at Dixie State University and the first of four finalists. Gitau will participate in virtual interviews June 29 and July 1.

After nearly seven years of dedication to Iowa State students, Martino Harmon, who served as the last senior vice president for student affairs, has moved onto his next adventure at the University of Michigan as the vice president of student life. 

Erin Baldwin, assistant vice president for student health and wellness and director of the Thielen Student Health Center, has been serving as the interim senior vice president since June 5.

At Dixie State, Gitau launched and continues to oversee the first Strategic Enrollment Management plan with a focus on recruitment, retention and academic programming, resulting in a 12 percent enrollment growth last year and a 35 percent growth in the last three years, according to his resume. 

The virtual forum will take place 1 p.m. Wednesday on Webex. Each candidate will be announced one day before their visit. 

Online public forums will take place at 1 p.m. on the second day of each visit and the forum links will also be available on the Office of the President’s website. 

The forums will be recorded and archived for later viewing after the campus visits have concluded. Participants are invited to submit an online candidate feedback form after each forum.