We have reached a critical stage in our nationwide search for an executive vice president and provost. Two finalists will visit campus over the next three weeks.

Meera Komarraju

Meera Komarraju will visit campus April 28-29. A public forum will be held 2:30-4 p.m. April 28 in the PSU Theater.

Komarraju has served as the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale since 2018. Komarraju has held many positions at SIUC since beginning as a full-time faculty member in 2003.

She earned her:

• PhD in applied social psychology from the University of Cincinnati.
• PhD in industrial-organizational psychology from Osmania University.
• MPhil in industrial-organizational psychology from Osmania University.
• MA in psychology from Osmania University.

Zora Mulligan

Zora Mulligan will visit campus May 5-6. A public forum will be held 3-4:30 p.m. May 5 in the PSU Theater.

Mulligan has served as the Commissioner of Higher Education for the State of Missouri since 2016. Previously she served as chief of staff for the University of Missouri System. Before that, she was the executive director for the Missouri Community College Association.

Mulligan earned her JD and an MS in education from the University of Kansas.

Candidate #3

Our third candidate has withdrawn his application.

The university will continue forward with the remaining finalists. Their campus visit schedules remain unchanged.

Thank you to our search committee

We received 51 applications for the position.

The search committee has been hard at work, reviewing application materials, conducting first-level interviews, and narrowing the pool.

I want to thank the 19 members of the search committee, chaired by Julie Masterson and Suzanne Shaw, for their excellent work in bringing us three highly qualified finalists.

Following the finalist interviews, I will discuss the search with the Board of Governors in closed session at their May 19 meeting. I anticipate announcing a decision shortly thereafter.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!