Missouri State University releases names of 3 finalists in search for next president

The committee searching for the 12th president of Missouri State University announced Thursday the names of three finalists.

The finalists, all men, are John Jasinski, provost at Missouri State; Roger Thompson, vice president for student services and enrollment management at the University of Oregon; and Richard Williams, who was president of Utah Tech University from 2014 through early 2024.

They are scheduled to visit the Springfield and West Plains campuses during two-day interviews in February. Those details have yet to be released.

“We were fortunate to attract an exceptionally strong and diverse pool of candidates for the position,” said board chair Lynn Parman, in a news release.

“Following interviews and thorough vetting, the search committee endorsed, and the board approved, three outstanding finalists. We’re pleased to have these experienced candidates who could become the next president of Missouri State University.”

The MSU board considered four finalists but one dropped out due to personal reasons.

The MSU Board of Governors is expected to finalize a successor to Clif Smart — who has been in the president role, initially as an interim, since 2011 — no later than March.

Here are details about each of the finalists:

John Jasinski

Jasinski was named provost in 2022 after 13 years as president Northwest Missouri State University, which had been Missouri's fastest-growing public university.

He is also a senior consultant for the American Association of State College and Universities.

At Missouri State, the Flint, Michigan native was tapped to spearhead a transformation of the university's academic future.

The large-scale realignment has meant reducing spending by millions, shifting staff, reallocating resources. One of the most visible results was the merger of two existing colleges into the expanded Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

As part of the work, Jasinski brought all the deans together regularly and met with other affected groups.

More: As Missouri State seeks new leader, provost John Jasinski builds on 'record of success'

He has a doctorate in educational leadership and higher education administration from the University of Nebraska, a master’s degree in interpersonal and public communication and a bachelor’s degree in broadcast and cinematic arts/interpersonal and public communication from Central Michigan University.

Roger Thompson

Thompson is vice president for student services and enrollment management at the University of Oregon. During his 14 years at UO, he also served as vice provost for enrollment management.

According to the OU website, Thompson leads an organization of more than 1,900 team members and an operating and scholarship budget in excess of $250 million.

In three of the past four years, the University of Oregon has set record enrollment for the largest, most diverse, and most academically prepared freshman class in the history of the institution.

Thompson has also been involved in capital projects including new residence halls and revamping the housing plan for the campus.

Prior to working at UO, Thompson served as vice provost for enrollment management and special advisor to the president at Indiana University.

During his four-year tenure at Indiana University, enrollment grew from roughly 38,000 students to more than 42,000 students and the quality of the freshman class grew to the highest level in its history, including a significant increase in average SAT scores, according to the OU website.

Thompson spent eight years at the University of Alabama, where he was involved in managing enrollment.

Thompson has a doctorate in policy and administration from the University of Southern California, master’s degree from University of Central Missouri and bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from California State University–Long Beach.

Richard Williams

Richard "Biff" Williams served as president of Utah Tech University — previously Dixie State University — from 2014 through early 2024.

According to the university, he added more than 100 academic programs during his tenure, including the first graduate degrees. He also grew student enrollment by 50% and grew the footprint of the university.

Williams steered the university through a name change and the move to Division I athletics, where its identity was rebranded as the Trailblazers in 2016.

Under his leadership, the university nearly doubled its scholarship funds and increased the salaries of teachers and staff. He oversaw major construction projects including the new Science, Engineering & Technology building, a new grandstand, a Human Performance Center and the first new on-campus student housing in 50 years.

Previously, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs and was the founding dean of the College of Nursing, Health and Human Services at Indiana State University.

He also was associate dean of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa, where he was a faculty member, executive associate director of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services, and Athletic Training department chair.

He has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University, master’s degree in athletic training from Indiana State University and a bachelor’s degree in lifestyle management from Weber State University.

The search for a new MSU president

In September, Smart announced plans to retire in summer 2024, giving Missouri State the better part of a year to find its next leader.

A 20-member search committee was formed with Springfield banker Rob Fulp serving as chair. The vice chair is Amy Counts, a business leader and former MSU board member from St. Louis. The committee includes students, faculty, staff, alumni, university administrators, community and board members.

In all, 48 candidates completed applications for the university's top job. The applicants were not publicly named.

Following an extensive review, 11 candidates were invited to interview in person Jan. 3-5 at a Kansas City airport hotel. The university said the pool was diverse "in terms of race, sex, age, geographic region, institutional size, and professional background."

Four candidates emerged as the top contenders, prompting background and reference checks. The MSU board met behind closed doors Wednesday, which is permitted by the Sunshine Law for personnel decisions, and decided who to invite for two-day visits next month in Springfield and West Plains.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State University names 3 finalists in president search