Two Semi-Finalists Selected for the Louisiana Tech University Presidential Search

On-Campus Interviews Slated for Nov. 28-29 in Ruston

BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Tech University Presidential Search Committee today selected Leslie Guice and Duane Hrncir to interview with the committee on Nov. 28-29 on the Ruston campus.

“The committee felt Dr. Guice and Dr. Hrncir had the strongest applications for this position with both demonstrating progressive campus leadership.  The semi-finalist interviews are a very important next step in this process as it gives the campus a chance to interact with the candidates and provide feedback to the committee,” said Search Chair and University of Louisiana System Board Chair Wayne Parker.

Guice has spent the last 34 years of his career at Louisiana Tech in various faculty and administrative positions.  Currently, he serves dual roles as Executive Vice President and Vice President for Research and Development.  His prior positions include Dean of the College of Engineering and Science and Head of Civil Engineering.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Louisiana Tech.  He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Hrncir is Acting President at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, where he also served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Founding Dean of the College of Science and Letters.  His prior experience includes serving as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mesa State College and Assistant Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Texas at Dallas.  He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry for the University of Alabama, a Master of Science in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Inorganic Chemistry from Texas A&M University.

The semi-finalist interview schedules are still being finalized, but plans are for both candidates to spend an entire day on the Ruston campus interacting with the search committee and university groups such as faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members.  After semi-finalists interviews, the committee will deliberate on campus and recommend sending one or both candidates to the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, who will make the final selection at its Dec. 4 meeting in Baton Rouge.

Voting members of the Louisiana Tech search committee include UL System Board Members Edward Crawford of Shreveport, Student Member and Louisiana Tech SGA President William Dearmon, Jimmy Faircloth of Alexandria, David Guidry of Harvey, Jimmy Long, Sr. of Natchitoches, Board Vice Chair Russell Mosely of Baton Rouge, Board Chair Wayne Parker of Choudrant, and Winfred Sibille of Sunset.  Also serving as a voting member is Louisiana Tech faculty member Heath Tims.

Serving as advisory, non-voting members are Ruston Mayor Dan Hollingsworth and Tech Foundation President-Elect Jack Byrd.  Parker serves as chair of the committee.

For more information about the search including candidate applications and meeting agendas, visit www.ulsystem.edu/LATECHsearch.

Founded in 1894, Louisiana Tech University is the only Carnegie Doctoral-High Research University and SREB Four-Year 2 Research University in north Louisiana.    The university offers a wide variety of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral-level programs including well-known biomedical engineering and nanotechnology programs.  With over 11,000 students nestled in the piney hills of north Louisiana, Tech has a reputation of offering a private-college atmosphere at a public university.

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The largest higher education system in Louisiana, the UL System enrolls over 92,000 students at Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and the University of New Orleans.