Atlanta — February 24, 1999

Three finalists for the presidency of Georgia Southern University are under consideration by University System Chancellor Stephen Portch and the Board of Regents’ Special Committee, chaired by Regent David H. (Hal) Averitt, with Regents J. Tom Coleman, Jr. and George M.D. (John) Hunt III also serving.

Portch commended the work of the Presidential Search and Advisory Committee chaired by Dr. Trey Denton, associate professor of marketing: “The committee sent us a slate of very strong candidates from around the nation; this was clearly a very attractive position.” The committee consisted of nine representatives from the campus and the community who had a charge of providing not less than five unranked finalists to a Special Regents’ Committee. The chancellor and Regents’ committee have narrowed that list to three finalists, from which the president will be selected.

Finalists, in alphabetical order, include:

• Dr. Bruce F. Grube, president of St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn. Grube has served in his current position since 1995. From 1992-1995, he served as provost at the University of Southern Colorado, in Pueblo, Colo., with responsibilities as the chief academic officer and the chief operations officer. Prior to that, Grube held key positions at California State Polytechnic University, in Pomona, Calif. including; provost and academic vice president (1987-1992), associate vice president of planning (1985-1987) and associate vice president of administration (1983-1985). He has been a faculty member at each of the institutions he has served. Grube received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Texas, in Austin, Texas and his A.B. from the University of California, in Berkeley, Calif.

• Wade Hobgood, dean of the College of the Arts, California State University-Long Beach, in Long Beach, Calif. Hobgood joined California State University-Long Beach as dean of the College of Arts in 1993. Prior to that, Hobgood served as dean of the College of Fine Arts at Stephen F. Austin State University, in Nacogdoches, Texas, from 1992-1993. He held various academic and administrative positions at Winthrop University, in Rock Hill, S.C. between the years of 1984-1989. From 1977-1984, Hobgood held positions at Western Carolina University, in Cullowhee, N.C. and Arkansas State University, in Jonesboro, Ark. He earned both his master’s and bachelor of fine arts in communication arts from East Carolina University, in Greenville, N.C.

• Dr. Richard Wells, provost and vice president for academic affairs and professor of sociology, Indiana State University, in Terre Haute, Ind. Wells has served in his current positions since 1993. Prior to that, he was the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, in West Chester, Pa., from 1988-1993. From 1983-1988, Wells served as chairperson of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and associate professor of sociology at the University of South Alabama, in Mobile, Ala. Wells served as an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, in Wilmington, N.C. from 1979-1983 and at Coker College, in Hartsville, S.C. from 1972-1975. Wells received his Ph.D. in sociology from Texas A & M University, in College Station, Texas, his M.A. in sociology from the University of Arkansas, in Fayetteville, Ark., and his B.A. in sociology from William Penn College, in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The Board of Regents will appoint the president from this group of finalists at its next meeting, to be held in Atlanta on March 9-10, 1999.

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