BANGOR – Three finalists for the University of Maine System chancellor’s position who were named Tuesday are expected to make their way to the area later this month for a round of interviews and visits with students, faculty, employees and others.

The three top candidates are: James Applegate, vice president for academic affairs at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education; Richard Pattenaude, president of the University of Southern Maine; and Warren Fox, executive director of the Office of Higher Education, Policy & Planning for the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

“All three of them have the right combination of higher-education experience, administrative and leadership skills, and organizational vision that were critical factors in our search,” Margaret A. Weston, chairwoman of both the search committee and the University of Maine System board of trustees, said Tuesday in a press release. “We are very pleased with the three candidates we’ve selected for further consideration.”

The search committee, which consists of six trustees, one faculty representative and one student representative, is scheduled to meet again early next month with the expectation of forwarding a recommendation to the full board before the trustees’ March meeting. Weston said the board hopes to have a new chancellor assume office in late spring or early summer.

Trustees began the search process in June 2006 following the resignation of Joseph W. Westphal, who was in the position for four years. In the interim, trustees asked former UMS Chancellor Terrence J. MacTaggart to return to the position and to oversee the search process on the board’s behalf.

MacTaggart, who served five years as chancellor from 1996-2001, is nationally recognized as an expert on higher education leadership and governance.

After receiving about 40 applications, the search committee narrowed the field to three candidates to potentially oversee the 34,000-student University of Maine System, its seven campuses, its satellites and its outreach centers across the state.

Each candidate is scheduled to spend about four days in Maine, with the visits beginning in Portland and ending in Presque Isle.

The itinerary for each candidate will be the same, and includes a variety of in-person interviews and videoconferences.

“I’m looking forward to having them visit with students, faculty, staff and others,” Weston said. “The feedback from those visits will be of great benefit to our committee as we make our selection.”

Fox is scheduled to participate in the interview process from Jan. 23-26, Pattenaude will participate from Jan. 28-31, and Applegate will participate Jan. 29-Feb. 1. The candidates’ visits were set to accommodate their respective schedules.

More information about the candidates and their schedules can be found at: www.maine.edu/chancellor/ChancellorSearch.php.

UMS chancellor search narrowed to three

James L. Applegate

Education: Doctorate in communication, University of Illinois.

Current employment: Vice president for academic affairs and senior fellow at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education in Frankfort, Ky.

Prior experience: National Communication Association, vice president and president.

University of Kentucky, Department of Communication chairman and faculty member.

University of Kentucky, University Senate Council chairman.

American Council on Education, fellow.

Warren H. Fox

Education: Doctorate in public administration, University of Southern California.

Current employment: Executive director of the Office of Higher Education, Policy & Planning for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the United Arab Emirates.

Prior Experience: University of California at Berkeley, scholar in residence.

California Postsecondary Education Commission, executive director.

State Higher Education Executive Officers, past chairman.

University and Community College System of Nevada, vice chancellor for academic affairs.

University of Nevada Computing Center, executive director.

American Council on Education, fellow.

University of Nevada at Reno College of Arts and Science, associate dean.

University of Nevada, University of Southern California, and University of Texas, faculty member.

Richard L. Pattenaude

Education: Doctorate in political science, University of Colorado.

Current employment: President at University of Southern Maine.

Prior experience: Central Connecticut State University, vice president for academic affairs and political science professor.

State University of New York at Binghamton, associate vice president for academic affairs, assistant vice president for academic affairs, and associate professor of political science.

Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, College of Liberal Arts associate dean and Political Science Department faculty member.