UT President Names Committee for UT Southern Chancellor Search

University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd announced the search committee tasked with identifying the next chancellor for the University of Tennessee Southern (UT Southern).

The UT Southern chancellor serves as a member of the UT System leadership team, reporting directly to the UT President, and as the chief academic and administrative officer of the Southern campus. The chancellor is responsible for providing visionary leadership and promoting the continued development of the campus’s academic programs, research productivity, as well as advancing initiatives outlined in the UT Southern Strategic Plan.

“UT Southern has a strong foundation and is uniquely positioned to make a significant impact in its community and beyond,” said Boyd. “We are seeking a dynamic leader who will build on the campus’s momentum and continue to advance its mission of excellence in education and community engagement.”

The search committee, chaired by Donde Plowman, chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, will officially launch the search in January with hopes to name a chancellor in June.

The committee includes representatives from the UT Board of Trustees and faculty, staff, student, and alumni communities:

  • Donde Plowman, Search Committee Chair; Chancellor, UT Knoxville
  • Evan Beech, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, UT Southern
  • Charles Burk, Student Representative, UT Advisory Board
  • Prentice Chandler, Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UT Southern
  • Angie Hall, Administrative Associate, UT Southern
  • Doug Haney, UT Southern Advisory Board Member
  • Stephen McBride, Director of Career Development, UT Southern
  • Melissa Ryckman, Faculty Senate Chair & Associate Professor of English, UT Southern
  • Donnie Smith, Member, UT Board of Trustees
  • Ken Vickers, Professor of History, UT Southern
  • Nan Wakefield, Chair, Johnston School of Business, UT Southern
  • Carey Whitworth, Vice President of Government Relations, Advocacy & Economic Development, UT System

The university has hired WittKeifer to assist with the search. The job description will be developed after the stakeholder listening sessions are completed in January. For more information about the search, please visit the search website.


About the University of Tennessee

The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and Memphis; the UT Institute of Agriculture with a presence in every Tennessee county; and the statewide Institute for Public Service. The UT System manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership; enrolls about 62,000 students statewide; produces about 14,000 new graduates every year; and represents more than 454,000 alumni around the world.