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Montana State University inches closer to new president • Daily Montanan [1]

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Date: 2025-04-03

The search for a new president for Montana State University in Bozeman is nearing a close.

At a brief meeting of the Montana Board of Regents this week, Chairman Todd Buchanan said “enthusiasm was palpable” during a visit last week by two finalists for “clearly one of the more important jobs in the state.”

The finalists include a former dean at the University of Montana.

“It was really exciting to see the quality of folks seeking this opportunity,” Buchanan said.

One finalist is Dr. Kurt Schnier, vice chancellor for planning and budget and the chief financial officer at the University of California, Merced, according to a news release from the MSU search committee. It said Schnier also is a professor of economics there.

The other finalist is Dr. Brock Tessman, president of Northern Michigan University and former dean of the Davidson Honors College at the University of Montana in Missoula. The news release said Tessman also has been an associate professor and assistant professor at the University of Georgia’s Department of International Affairs. He also served as served as the Deputy Commissioner of Higher Education overseeing the 16 campuses that comprise the Montana University System.

In August 2024, MSU President Waded Cruzado announced she would retire in June 2025 after 15 years in the role. MSU is the largest public institution in the state of Montana.

In an email Thursday, Galen Hollenbaugh, with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, said a decision should be made soon, although a timeline isn’t set.

“The Montana State University Presidential Search Advisory Committee and the Board of Regents are moving closer to a decision, but the process is ongoing and the timeline for an announcement remains in flux,” Hollenbaugh said.

The Board of Regents went into a closed, executive session after a brief update of the search process to discuss the finalists.

“We have determined that the discussion of the finalists involves individual privacy rights that outweigh the public’s right to know, and we are closing the session to ensure confidentiality,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan said the visits by the top two candidates came after a “robust and thoughtful vetting process,” which included numerous interviews. He said on campus, both finalists met with staff, faculty, students, alumni and the public.

MSU posted the candidates’ full resumes on its search website.

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[1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2025/04/03/montana-state-university-inches-closer-to-new-president/

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