A search committee at Rollins College has nominated Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering and Dartmouth engineering professor Lewis Duncan as its top choice for the presidency of the Winter Park, Fla. school.
Duncan's nomination does not guarantee him the top leadership position at the school, as the decision still needs to be approved by both the faculty and Rollins' Board of Trustees. But, he is currently visiting the college and will meet with the faculty before returning to Dartmouth on Thursday.
Rollins seeks a candidate who is a proven and outstanding leader with a strong commitment to continuing to build a tradition of academic excellence and national visibility for the college, according to materials released by the search committee. The ideal candidate would be an excellent manager of resources, have a clear and strategic vision and be an effective fundraiser, the search committee materials said.
If offered the position, Duncan would take over the Rollins presidency from Rita Bornstein, who for 14 years as the school's first female president.
Duncan earned his bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics and his master's degree in space physics from Rice University in Houston, Texas. After finishing at Rice he conducted research at the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center in Puerto Rico as a post-doctorate fellow with the National Science Foundation.
Serving as a university president is nothing new for Duncan. Before coming to Dartmouth in 1998, Duncan acted as the president of The University of Tulsa from 1992 to 1998, where he also served as dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
While at the Thayer School, Duncan oversaw the establishment of the Institute for Security Technology Studies and the application of millions of dollars in federal funds. ISTS received $78 million over the past four years and $21 million last year.
Rollins College is located outside of Orlando, Fla. in the residential community of Winter Park. Rollins enrolls 3,835 students and has 185 full-time faculty members.
