The search for Iowa State University’s next president continues to move forward as the Iowa Board of Regents and the ISU presidential search committee narrow down candidates from a pool of applicants.
The presidential search committee met Oct. 6 to narrow down the pool of 78 candidates to eight semifinalists. The semifinalists were classified by numbers (23, 25, 32, 38, 43, 48, 49 and 72) according to Iowa State University.
Virtual interviews with the eight semifinalists are scheduled for Oct. 20-22, after which two to four finalists will be invited to campus for in-person interviews and public town halls that will be held the week of Nov. 3.
According to Regents member JC Risewick and search committee member and faculty senate president Meghan Gillette, the search process has been active since July.
The committee plans to present finalists to the Iowa Board of Regents at its November meeting, when the next ISU president is expected to be selected and offered the position.
“By the beginning of 2026, we hope to have a president on campus continuing the mission of our great university,” the statement said.
Risewick and Gillette described the response to the position as both robust and competitive.
“Our search firm AGB noted this position has garnered more applications than most similar searches in which they have been involved,” the statement said. “Not only that, but the quality is also top-tier. The challenge thus far has been to narrow down the field of impressive candidates.”
The Presidential Search Committee developed its evaluation criteria based on feedback from faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members gathered during summer listening sessions.
“Their input was used to create the search criteria,” the statement said.
The official presidential search advertisement outlines expectations for ISU’s next leader, emphasizing integrity, collaboration and a commitment to the university’s land-grant mission of teaching, research and service.
According to the posting, the new president “must be a servant leader who is forward-thinking and has the ability to navigate change. The successful candidate must have experience developing and executing a future-oriented strategic plan.”
Additional qualities include a student-first mindset, strong communication skills, fiscal management experience and respect for faculty and staff governance.
The new president will also be expected to demonstrate fundraising success, an understanding of intercollegiate athletics and the ability to engage with diverse constituencies across Iowa and beyond.
Senior Vice President and Provost Jason Keith said the next president must embody collaboration and student-centered leadership.
“Any president, to be truly successful, has to be collaborative,” Keith said. “Leading a great university like Iowa State is a large and complex task, and no one can do it alone.”
Keith said continuing Iowa State’s student-focused tradition is key.
“Doing our best to help every student succeed both on campus and in their professional lives after graduation,” Keith said.
While acknowledging challenges that come with leading a large institution, Keith emphasized the university’s momentum.
“We have record first-year student retention, for example, but we have accepted the challenge to try and go even higher,” Keith said.
Keith added that Iowa State’s next president will play a key role in supporting the university’s strategic priorities, including extension and outreach, enrollment and research.
“Iowa State is an outstanding institution, and one of the big reasons why is that we lean into our land-grant mission,” Keith said. “These things will always be strategic priorities, as will making sure we remain both affordable and accessible.”
As the search process advances, Risewick and Gillette said they are encouraged by the enthusiasm surrounding the position.
“The process has gone incredibly well to date and the quality and quantity of the candidates who have applied has been amazing,” the statement said. “This speaks very highly of the reputation of Iowa State University, the faculty and staff, students and the state of Iowa.”
Risewick and Gillette added that the strong applicant pool reflects ISU’s national standing and the appeal of the Ames community.
“Iowa State University and Ames is a very attractive place to work and live and this search process has validated that,” the statement said. “A big thank you to everyone who works so hard to make Iowa State University the top-tier university it is.”
