Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum on Friday [Nov. 20] provided the campus community with an update on the search for the university's next provost and executive vice president.

"We now have in place a 19-member search committee composed of 10 elected faculty and nine faculty, staff, student, and administrative members who I appointed. The committee, chaired by Dr. David Shaw, will hold its initial meeting in early December, and I will present the group with its charge at that time," Keenum wrote in a message to faculty and staff.

Members of the committee are:

* David Shaw, Chair, Vice President for Research and Economic Development

* Cody Coyne, President, Faculty Senate

* JoJo Dodd, President, Student Association

* Cedric Gathings, Interim Assistant Vice President for Multicultural Affairs

* Tamara Gibson, Chair, Staff Council

* Steve Grado, Professor, FWRC-Forestry, College of Forest Resources

* Kimberly Hall, Associate Professor, Meridian Division of Education, MSU-Meridian

* Jeffrey Haupt, Professor, Art, College of Architecture, Art and Design

* Mike Highfield, Professor and Head, Finance and Economics, College of Business

* Regina Hyatt, Vice President for Student Affairs

* Jason Keith, Dean, Bagley College of Engineering

* Pedro Jose Mago, Professor and Head, Mechanical Engineering, Bagley College of Engineering

* Minion K. C. Morrison, Professor and Head, Political Science and Public Administration

* Seth Oppenheimer, Professor, Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences, Director, Undergraduate Research, Shackouls Honors College

* Amanda Powers, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Research Services, University Libraries

* Stephen Pruett, Professor and Head, Basic Science, College of Veterinary Medicine

* Rebecca Robichaux-Davis, Associate Professor, Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education, College of Education

* Michael Seymour, Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

* Don Zant, Vice President for Budget and Planning

"I very much appreciate the willingness of all the committee members to invest their time and energy in helping to identify the best possible candidates for this extremely important position," Keenum stated.

The R. William Funk & Associates consulting firm is assisting the university in its nationwide search.

In October, Provost and Executive Vice President Jerry Gilbert was named president of Marshall University in West Virginia. Earlier this month, Keenum announced that Julia Hodges will serve as interim during the search for Gilbert's successor. Hodges is not a candidate for the permanent position.

Keenum expects to have a new provost and executive vice president named by the end of the spring semester.