Dear Roosevelt University Community,

As you know, President Malekzadeh has announced his plans to retire in the summer of 2027 after what will be 12 years at the helm of Roosevelt University.

To ensure our continued positive trajectory, we are beginning the search for the next president of Roosevelt University, and I am honored that Board Chair J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez has asked me to chair the Presidential Search Committee. The first step in the process was to ask a broad array of Roosevelt University community members to participate on the committee, and I am thrilled to share the list of those who agreed to serve:

Valerie Barker Waller,Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Nicole Barron, Senior Vice President of Enrollment Management
Patrick Brooks, Student Trustee
Dr. Stephen Cerrone, Public Trustee
Jon Cherry, Public Trustee
Dr. Steve Cohen, Professor of Mathematics
Elizabeth Connolly, Public Trustee
Bruce Crown, Public Trustee
Jessica Gonzalez, Public Trustee
Dr. John Hall, Public Trustee
Dr. Kevin Hampton, Dean, Chicago College of Performing Arts
Tom Hyatt, Public Trustee
David Johnson, Adjunct Professor, Organizational Leadership
Ihnki Moon, Financial Reporting and Treasury Manager
Joe Nocera, Public Trustee
Dr. Ryan Petty, Associate Professor of Human Resource Management
Rashad Robison, Public Trustee
Tracy Roosevelt, Public Trustee
Dr. Margie Rung, Professor of History
Joyce Tucker, Public Trustee
Dr. Kelly Wentz-Hunter, Dean, College of Science, Health and Pharmacy
Dr. Carolyn Wiley, Professor of Management, Faculty Trustee
Corey Williams, Vice Provost of Student Affairs, Dean of Students

The next University president will shape our institution for years to come. It is important that we partner with a firm that understands the higher education landscape (including the opportunities and challenges facing universities today) and can recommend best practices at each step of this process. We are pleased to announce that we are partnering with WittKieffer, a premier executive search and leadership advisory firm. WittKieffer has guided more than 135 academic institutions through presidential searches in the past five years alone. Importantly, they have worked on searches with more than 20 colleges and universities in the Chicagoland area, including Roosevelt.

As the Presidential Search Committee begins its work this week, we really want to hear from you: the Roosevelt community. We are holding a series of in-person and virtual listening sessions (in Chicago and Schaumburg) facilitated by our partners at WittKieffer to gather input and perspective from Roosevelt constituents including faculty, students, donors, staff and alumni.

Given the busy April calendar, most listening sessions will be held during University Common Hours to maximize participation. In the coming weeks, we will also launch an online survey to gain additional feedback. Input from both the sessions and the survey will be invaluable to the Presidential Search Committee and WittKieffer as we define the experiences, competencies and qualities needed in the next president. Please watch for email invitations to participate. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

In the next several weeks, we will be providing an update around the timing of the overall search process. Broadly, our goal is to complete this process with enough time to ensure the next President of Roosevelt has the opportunity to spend some transition time with President Malekzadeh next spring. Updates for the Roosevelt community will be provided via email as well as posted on a dedicated section of our website.

In service,

Valerie Barker Waller
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Roosevelt University Board of Trustees