At the final presidential search committee meeting on Wednesday, the committee interviewed five candidates for the role of LSU’s next president and selected three finalists.
The finalists are James Dalton, the provost and executive vice president for the University of Alabama, Wade Rousse, the president of McNeese State University and Robert Robbins, the former president of the University of Arizona.
The role has been empty since the end of June when former president William F. Tate IV left LSU for the same position at Rutgers. Interim President Matt Lee was selected to lead the university until the position was filled.
Lee was not voted as a finalist for the position.
Dalton was added as an additional applicant after Rousse and Robbins publicly announced they would apply for the job. The last time the university had a presidential opening was in 2021 where Tate was admitted as a late applicant.
Each finalist will have a day to meet with stakeholders, faculty and students on campus. Student forums for the remaining two candidates will be at 3:15 p.m. in the Union Theater Friday and Monday.
The names are in no particular order. The Board of Supervisors will interview the finalists and vote on who will be the next president on Tuesday.
James Dalton (19) | Wade Rousse (14) | Robert Robbins (14) | Lee (9)
- Scott Ballard, Chairman – LSU Board of Supervisors [Dalton, Rousse, Robbins]
- Lee Mallett, Vice Chair – LSU Board of Supervisors [Dalton, Rousse, Robbins]
- Valencia Sarpy Jones, Past Chair – LSU Board of Supervisors [Dalton, Robbins, Rousse]
- Rémy Voisin Starns, Past Chair – LSU Board of Supervisors [Dalton, Lee, Rousse]
- James Williams, Past Chair – LSU Board of Supervisors [Dalton, Robbins, Rousse]
- John Carmouche, Supervisor – LSU Board of Supervisors [Dalton, Robbins, Rousse]
- Blaise Zuschlag, Supervisor – LSU Board of Supervisors [Dalton, Robbins, Rousse]
- Ben Bordelon, President & CEO – Bollinger Shipyards [Dalton, Robbins, Rousse]
- Clarence Cazalot, Immediate Past Chair MD Anderson, Former Chair/President/CEO Marathon Oil, Past Chair – LSU Foundation Board of Directors [Dalton, Lee, Robbins]
- Paul Coreil, Chancellor – LSU Alexandria [Dalton, Lee, Rousse]
- Greg Feirn, CEO – LCMC Health [Dalton, Robbins, Rousse]
- Olivia Phelps, LSU A&M Staff Senate Past President [Dalton, Lee, Robbins]
- EJ Kuiper, President & CEO – Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System [Dalton, Robbins, Rousse]
- Pete November, CEO – Ochsner Health [November was not at the meeting]
- Roger Ogden, Business Leader, Philanthropist, LSU Foundation Board of Directors [Dalton, Lee, Robbins]
- Emily Otken, Medical Student – LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Former Student Member – LSU Board of Supervisors [Dalton, Lee, Rousse]
- Kenneth Schafer, Boyd Professor and Ball Family Distinguished Professor [Dalton, Lee, Robbins]
- Ryan Theriot, Executive Vice President/COO of Parish Construction, Former LSU & MLB Baseball Player [Dalton, Robbins, Rousse]
- Daniel Tirone, LSU A&M Faculty Senate President, Associate Professor – LSU A&M College of Humanities & Social Sciences [Dalton, Lee, Robbins]
- Bill Windham, Shreveport-Bossier Business and Industry Leader [Dalton, Lee, Rousse]
