The search for University of Arizona President Robert Robbins’ replacement has begun with the Arizona Board of Regents announcing the members of a presidential search advisory committee plus more in this week’s roundup of the latest developments.

At a glance

  • The Arizona Board of Regents will meet April 17-19 at the University of Arizona. The publicly accessible portion of the meeting is 1:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18 in the Student Union Memorial Center North Ballroom. It will be livestreamed here.
  • The board of regents announced Chair Cecilia Mata’s 18 appointees to the UA’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee on April 15.
  • The University of Arizona Global Campus will hire a new vice provost despite a school-wide hiring freeze, according to an Arizona Daily Star report on April 15. 
  • More than 100 faculty members wrote a letter endorsing provost candidate Marie Hardin while calling the other candidate, Joseph Glover, a “divisive candidate who will generate open resistance across a broad swath of the campus faculty and academic leadership.”
  • Gov. Katie Hobbs announced her appointment of two new regents on April 11. Flagstaff community leader Liz Archuleta will replace regent Lyndel Manson and Jadyn Fisher will replace student regent Katelyn Rees. 

The board of regents will meet April 17-19 at the UA to discuss various items including an update on the UA budget, setting new tuition and fees, and legislation that will affect the universities. 

The public portion of the meeting, set for 1:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18 at the Student Union Memorial Center’s North Ballroom, will include a call to the audience, in which members of the public may speak before the board. It will also be livestreamed here.

The board of regents announced Chair Mata’s appointees for the UA’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee. The group of 18 members is “comprised of regents and campus community members,” according to the announcement. Among the UA community members on the committee are five professors, one undergraduate student representative, one staff council representative, two deans and three vice presidents. Six of the UA representatives are also President Robbins’ appointees for the University Advisory Council and five are on the Faculty Senate. 

  • Cecilia Mata, chair, Arizona Board of Regents
  • Fred DuVal, regent, Arizona Board of Regents
  • Doug Goodyear, regent, Arizona Board of Regents
  • Tobi Adigun, undergraduate student, serves on the University Advisory Council
  • Marla Franco, vice president of Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives
  • David Hahn, dean of the College of Engineering and member of the Academic Deans’ Council, serves on the University Advisory Council
  • Erin Hart, higher education policy advisor to Gov. Katie Hobbs
  • Melanie Hingle, professor of nutritional sciences, serves on the University Advisory Council
  • Jenny Lee, vice president of Arizona International, dean of International Education and member of the Academic Deans’ Council
  • Humberto “Bert” Lopez, president of H.S. Lopez Family Foundation, UA Foundation Board of Trustees former chair and serves on the Foundation’s National Leadership Council
  • Fletcher McCusker, CEO of University Associates Venture Capital and member of UA’s FORGE Strategic Advisory Council
  • Lucinda Rankin, associate professor of physiology, serves on the University Advisory Council and Faculty Senate
  • Desireé Reed-Francois, vice president and director of athletics
  • Christina Rocha, manager of the Research, Innovation & Impact Business Center, serves on the University Advisory Council, Staff Council and Faculty Senate
  • Stephen Roe Lewis, governor, Gila River Indian Community
  • Joellen Russell, distinguished professor of geology, serves on Faculty Senate
  • Caleb Simmons, professor of religious studies, Faculty Senator, Committee of Eleven member and Executive Director of Online Education, serves on the University Advisory Council and Faculty Senate
  • Mark Stegeman, associate professor of economics, serves on the Faculty Senate, former Tucson Unified School District board member

Gov. Katie Hobbs appointed two new regents, Liz Archuleta and Jadyn Fisher, to replace those whose terms have ended. Archuleta is replacing Regent Lyndel Manson and will serve an eight-year term. 

Archuleta is a fourth-generation Flagstaff resident and currently works as the president and chief executive officer for United Way of Arizona, a nonprofit organization that works to “coordinate efforts and leverage resources to invest in the power and potential of successful and resilient youth.” Before working at the nonprofit, Archuleta was director in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a brief period of time. However the majority of her career has been spent as a Coconino County Supervisor, where she was the first elected Latina to the position and held it for 25 years. During her time in public office, she was elected president of the County Supervisors Association of Arizona. Archuleta worked for two different presidents at Northern Arizona University focusing on community building.

Fisher is studying education at Northern Arizona University where she has “served multiple roles in the Associated Students of Northern Arizona University and as a campus living community assistant.” Fisher’s term as a student regent is two years but will gain voting privileges in her second year.

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Carolina Cuellar is a bilingual journalist based in Tucson covering South Arizona. Previously she reported on border and immigration issues in the Rio Grande Valley for Texas Public Radio. She has an M.S....