EAST STROUDSBURG - The East Stroudsburg University Council of Trustees met yesterday in a public meeting and announced the naming of three highly qualified candidates seeking to become the 13th president of the university.

The slate of recommended unranked candidates was sent to Dr. John Cavanaugh, Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), for further review.  The PASSHE Board of Governors will select one of the candidates to be named the next president of East Stroudsburg University.  The three candidates and an alternate candidate, include:

• Dr. Cheryl Norton, Senior Fellow to American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Washington D.C.  President, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Conn.
• Dr. Maurice W. Scherrens, Senior Vice President, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
• Dr. Marcia Welsh, Interim President, Towson University, Towson, Md.
• Dr. John Beehler (alternate), Founding Provost and Vice President for Academic Excellence and Student Success, University of North Texas at Dallas.

There were initially seventy applicants for the position . The continuing candidates announced Friday were selected from among five applicants for the position who visited the East Stroudsburg University campus following a national search.  They each met with the presidential search committee, various campus constituencies, including president’s council, the president’s staff, faculty, deans, department chairs, community leaders, and the ESU Council of Trustees.

 “I want to thank the members of the presidential search committee for their fine work since late August,” said Trustee Chair Patrick Ross. “Their dedication ensured that the search for a new president achieved the highest level of professionalism and attracted the best possible candidates,” he said. 

The next president will be in office by July 1, 2012.  He or she will succeed Dr. Robert J. Dillman, who last year announced his plans to retire effective June 30.  Dr. Dillman has been president since January 1996, when he succeeded Dr. James Gilbert, who was president from 1987 to 1996.