University of Arizona Mulls Dean of Haas

Tom Campbell, dean of the Haas School of Business, is one of four finalists vying for the top position at the University of Arizona, officials announced Tuesday.

Campbell, who returned to UC Berkeley last semester after serving as state finance director, is in the running for the role of university president, which may be announced by as early as the end of the month.

"Dr. Campbell has an incredible background of experience in a variety of venues ... he's a man of stamina and great vision," said presidential search committee chair Fred Boice, a member of the Arizona Board of Regents.

Campbell returned to campus in November after taking a year-long leave of absence to serve as director of California's Department of Finance, later joining Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on the campaign trail for the special election in November.

Prior to his arrival to UC Berkeley, Campbell was a five-term member of Congress and served on the faculty of Stanford University for nearly two decades.

If selected, he will resign from his position as dean and take a leave of absence as a business professor at Haas.

Though a spokesperson from Haas declined to comment on Campbell's candidacy, colleagues said that Campbell's background would prepare him well for the position.

"President is a very high level appointment. One doesn't go looking for it," said executive associate dean and professor Richard Lyons, who served as interim dean last year. "He's such a high profile person that he's the type of person they go looking for."

Deborah Freund of Syracuse University, Yash Gupta of the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and Robert Shelton of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill round out the list of finalists announced Tuesday.

As leader of one of the largest employers and research facilities in the Tucson region, the president also sits on the Board of Directors of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc., a private non-profit economic development agency that serves the region and the university.

"It's a very significant decision on a business level for the community because so much research is there to commercialize," said Nancy Smith, vice president of Research and Emerging Technologies at the agency. "It is important for the new president to be able to converse with the business community."

Aside from helping bring business to Tucson and establishing the role the university will play the city's development, officials said the new president will also face funding challenges as well as lead the development of a new medical school in downtown Phoenix.

The final four candidates are scheduled to tour the campus individually following a round of interviews, where they will engage in various forums organized by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

The search committee-comprised of regents, students, administrators and faculty members-will send its final candidates to the board, who will select the president in the coming weeks.

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