After successfully leading University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) for the past eight years—the institution was previously known as University of Maryland University College—Javier Miyares, the retiring president of UMGC, recently accepted a new advisory role to University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Jay A. Perman, MD. In this capacity, Miyares will focus on Systemwide data analytics and how to better position the USM for distance education during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawrence E. Leak, PhD, has assumed the role of interim president at UMGC until the search for a permanent replacement can be completed.

In beginning the search for Miyares's replacement, the USM Board of Regents has committed itself to finding a successor who will continue UMGC's impressive trajectory, its ready embrace of pioneering innovation, and its leadership in leveraging technology to improve academic quality and college access.

"UMGC is the nation's largest online public university and, in fact, one of the U.S.'s largest providers of higher education, period," said USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman. Its diversity of students—including adult students in the workforce and U.S. military—reflects our mission to educate the citizens of Maryland and beyond. The selection of UMGC's next president is therefore critically important not only to the university, but to the System, to the state, and to the country."

Search Committee Announcement

On September 1, 2020, USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman appointed the search and screening committee for the new president of UMGC.

USM Regent Sam Malhotra will chair the UMGC Presidential Search and Screening Committee, which has been chosen to reflect the UMGC community with representation among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other institutional stakeholders. The committee's work will result in the submission of a short list of the most-qualified presidential candidates for the Board of Regents to consider.

"I'm grateful to Regent Malhotra for taking on this important role, leading the group that will identify a successor to President Miyares," Chancellor Perman said. "UMGC was transformed under Javier's leadership. The university's enrollment expanded, as did its academic programs, strategic partnerships, and collaborations with sister institutions in the USM."

The committee will work with the leadership recruiting firm Korn Ferry.

"With the appointment of this search committee, I will conduct a series of listening sessions with UMGC stakeholder groups and host a town hall open to anyone who wishes to participate," Perman said. "These events will help the search committee and the board better understand what qualities the UMGC community wants in its next leader and gather perspectives on the university's direction, challenges, and strategic advantages. Information on these events is forthcoming; given current restrictions on in-person gatherings, they will be held via videoconference."

The committee's work will conclude with its recommendation of finalists for consideration by the chancellor and the Board of Regents. The board will make the final selection. Historically, the search process for a president at most USM institutions has taken four-to-six months.

Greetings from the Search Committee Chair

The University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor's Office is conducting a search for the next president of University of Maryland Global Campus. This is an exciting and transformational time in UMGC's history to grow its tradition of excellence and enhance partnerships with the USM and its institutions, the state, and partners across the globe. Finding the very best person to lead UMGC into the future is of the highest priority.

We appointed an esteemed and diverse search committee, representative of UMGC deans, faculty, staff, and students, as well as other key stakeholders of UMGC. The chancellor and search committee members will solicit input from stakeholders through various means, from which the key aspects of the position description will be developed. Likewise, this feedback will provide a lens through which the search committee will screen and interview candidates for advancement through the process. We have also retained Korn Ferry—an industry-leading search firm—to assist with planning, coordination, and recruitment throughout the process. We are excited to see what the future holds for UMGC and to find the next university leader who will lead their exciting and unique mission.

Regent Sam Malhotra
UMGC Presidential Search Committee Chair

Search Committee Members

The members of the committee are

  • Sam Malhotra (Search Committee Chair)—Regent, University System of Maryland
  • Antoinne Beidleman—UMGC Staff Council Chair
  • Richard F. Blewitt—UMGC Alumnus, and Senior Advisor to the President and former chair of the UMGC Board of Visitors
  • Elizabeth Brunn—Program Director, UMGC, and Council of University System Faculty Chair
  • John Campbell—Lieutenant General (U.S. Air Force, Ret.)
  • James Cronin—Vice President and Director, UMGC Asia
  • Patricia Florestano—Community member, former Board of Regents Chair, and former Maryland Secretary of Higher Education
  • Reynaldo Garcia—Program Director and Collegiate Professor, UMGC Faculty
  • Sandra Garcia—Graduate Student, UMGC Asia
  • Geoff Gonella—Member, USM Board of Regents
  • Douglas Harrison—Vice President and Dean, UMGC School of Cybersecurity and Information Technology
  • Blair Hayes—UMGC Ombudsman, Vice President, and Chief Diversity Officer
  • Bernetta Reese—Executive Committee Chair, UMGC Student Advisory Council
  • Liliya Roberts—Program Director and UMGC Academic Advisory Board Chair
  • William Roberts—Vice Chair, UMGC Ventures Board
  • Patricia Toregas—UMGC Adjunct Professor of Marketing, and former UMGC Alumni Association President
  • Ellen Herbst (Chancellor's Liaison to the Search Committee)—USM Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

Recruiting Firm

The leadership recruiting firm for the UMGC presidential search is Korn Ferry.

Principal

Kenneth Kring
Kenneth L. Kring is a senior client partner in Korn Ferry's Philadelphia office and co-managing director of the Global Education Practice.

Associate Team Member

Vicki Antolini
Vicki Antolini is a senior associate in Korn Ferry's Philadelphia office.

UMGC Presidential Profile/Position Description

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) seeks a visionary, dynamic, and entrepreneurial leader with a strong commitment to excellence in higher education to serve as its next president. A complete position description can be found here.

Share Your Feedback with the Search Committee

University System of Maryland Regent Sam Malhotra, chair of the UMGC Presidential Search Committee, invites members of the UMGC community to share their thoughts about the opportunities and challenges ahead for the university as well as the characteristics and competencies the committee should seek as it conducts the search for a new president of UMGC.

There are several options for sharing feedback:

  1. Complete this survey to share your input and perspectives with the search committee and with Korn Ferry, the firm conducting the presidential search. Survey responses will be shared without attribution.

  2. Participate in a listening session, hosted by Chairman Malhotra and members of the search committee on the following dates:

    UMGC Leadership

    Tuesday, September 15, 2020
    UMGC Faculty and Staff

    Monday, September 21, 2020

    Tuesday, September 22, 2020

    UMGC Students and Alumni

    Wednesday, September 30, 2020

  3. Email UMGC-President@kornferry.com with any additional comments.