Left to right, Kanika Tomalin, Wolf Yeigh, Christian Hardigree and Melissa Gruys, the final four candidates for regional chancellor
At a meeting of decision makers this Thursday, Dr. Kanika Tomalin was named as one of four finalists for the Regional Chancellor post at the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg (USFSP). She is the lone local candidate still in the running after a search committee narrowed the field from an original 56 applicants to a short-list of nine.
As reported by the Tampa Bay Times yesterday, “Panel members initially selected the city’s former Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin and Wolf Yeigh, former chancellor of the University of Washington’s Bothell campus. They later picked two additional finalists: Christian Hardigree, founding dean of the school of hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Melissa Gruys, dean of the school of business at Purdue University Fort Wayne.”
Dr. Tomalin is also the only candidate who hails from an interdisciplinary background. The 47-year old St. Petersburg native has held diverse roles. In addition to her recent eight years as Deputy Mayor and four years as both City Administrator and Deputy Mayor, Dr. Tomalin served in private sector roles including C-suite leadership with Bayfront Health System and Eckerd College. At Eckerd College she currently leads all operations and strategic initiatives as the Chief Operating Officer and VP of Strategy.
The other three candidates are tenured academicians.
“The names came into focus after a robust, hourlong meeting that questioned the regional chancellor’s role and whether the job calls for a person with academic credentials,” according to a Times article on Thursday’s meeting of the selection committee.
The Regional Chancellor role has been uniquely crafted and redefined following a consolidation of the system’s three campuses that began in July 2020. The Regional Chancellor holds primary responsibility for USFSP’s strategic and operations functions. The academic program is now centralized across the university and falls under the purview of the USF provost, with faculty and faculty leadership reporting through the Deans and Vice-Provost at each campus.
USF will host town halls and campus visits for each candidate, beginning next week. The visits will include meetings with university and community leadership.
The public are invited to take part in the selection process, by attending one or more of the town halls set for Monday and Tuesday, in the University Student Center (USC) ballroom, located at 200 6th Ave. S, in St. Pete.
Dates & Times for the Town Halls
Monday, May 2
Dr. Kanika Tomalin, Candidate 1: 1-2 p.m.
TBA, Candidate 2: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 3
TBA, Candidate 3: 1-2 p.m.
TBA, Candidate 4: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
If unable to attend, townhalls will also be livestreamed via Microsoft Teams and can be accessed through the Regional Chancellor search site. Members of the USF and broader communities are encouraged to submit questions and provide feedback via an online portal. This feedback will be reviewed by President Law herself, according to the latest USF news about the selection process.
