University of Missouri System initiates nationwide search for UMKC chancellor

Members include UMKC faculty, staff, students, retirees and community members

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of Missouri System President Mun Choi today announced the start of a nationwide search for the position of chancellor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The search will be led by the UM System HR Executive Initiatives team.  

Following nominations by UMKC constituency groups, Choi named members to the search committee. The search committee will be chaired by UMKC Faculty Senate Chair, Martha Jane Phillips Starr Missouri Distinguished Professor of Women's and Gender Studies and Professor of History Linda Mitchell and UMKC alum and former President and Chief Executive Officer of JE Dunn Construction Group Terry Dunn.

“Our Kansas City campus is an integral part of our UM System, and its success contributes significantly to the success of the entire state,” Choi said. “We are confident that we will be able to generate a broad, high-quality pool of candidates from a national audience based on the tremendous strength and reputation of UMKC as well as the efforts of our in-house recruitment staff and nominations from our community, campus leadership and committee members.”

Additional search committee members include:

• Cynthia Amyot, Ed.D., associate dean and professor, School of Dentistry
• Angela M. Bennett, J.D., chair, Chancellor’s African American Leaders Council; UM Curator Emerita
• Tom Bloch, trustee, UMKC Trustees; chairman, UMKC Foundation
• Monica Cossich, senator, Student Government Association
• Curt Crespino, vice chancellor, University Advancement
• Steven D. Davis, professor, Conservatory of Music and Dance
• Warren Erdman, trustee, UMKC Trustees; member, UMKC Foundation Board; UM Curator Emeritus
• Bryan Fox, MA, executive board member, Graduate Student Council
• Kimiko Black Gilmore, vice president, UMKC Alumni Association Governing Board
• Adrienne Hoard, MFA, Ed.D., professor, College of Arts and Sciences
• Deanna Marx, chair, UMKC Staff Council
• Russell Melchert, Ph.D., dean and professor, School of Pharmacy
• Brent Never, Ph.D., associate professor, Henry W. Bloch School of Management
• Drew Rogers, president, Student Government Association
• Jennifer Salvo-Eaton, faculty senator and NTT representative, UMKC Faculty Senate
• Gail Metcalf Schartel, vice president/president-elect, UMKC Retiree Association
• Susan B. Wilson, vice chancellor, Diversity and Inclusion
• Gerald J. Wyckoff, Ph.D., professor, School of Biological Sciences

UMKC Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara A. Bichelmeyer has been serving as interim chancellor since Chancellor Leo E. Morton retired on August 15.

Stakeholder meetings and open forums will begin in early October.

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