University of Arkansas System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt announced today that he will recommend Andrew Rogerson, Ph.D., to the UA Board of Trustees as the next chancellor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR).
Bobbitt’s recommendation to the UA Board of Trustees will be considered at its next regularly scheduled meeting May 25-26 at Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas.
Rogerson is expected to begin his role as UALR’s 10th chancellor on Sept. 1. Current UALR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson, who has spent more than 45 years at the institution and 13 as chancellor, is retiring June 30.
“Entering into the search process the expectation was that a very competent and high-level pool of candidates would be identified and that the right person would rise to the top,” Bobbitt said. “With the help and input of faculty, staff and students, along with the search committee and search firm, a very impressive group of finalists were brought to campus. Frankly, all three offered significant – but different – strengths and have the potential to do the job, but I feel Dr. Rogerson brings a complete skill set to match UALR’s needs and is the right person for the job at this time.”
Rogerson is currently provost and vice president of academic affairs at Sonoma State University, part of the California State University system. A native of Scotland, he earned both an undergraduate honors degree in biology and a doctorate in protozoan ecology there. He’s been a professor, scholar and senior administrator at leading universities in England, Canada and the United States, including most recently at Marshall University and Fresno State.
A complete bio can be found here.
“I feel very strongly about the role a metropolitan university like UALR should play within a community, a system, and a state … even regionally and nationally,” Rogerson said. “There’s a unique synergy that can be created when programs and research are interwoven into a growing community and economy, and my goal is to tap into that to help UALR reach its maximum potential. I am thankful for the hospitality and professionalism that’s been shown to me during this process by everyone involved, and I am eager to get to Little Rock and get to work.”
Rogerson’s selection ends an eight-month process led by a search committee established by Bobbitt and supported by Greenwood/Asher & Associates Inc., a leading executive search and consulting firm. The search committee, chaired by Bob Denman, former vice chancellor for advancement at UALR, included a diverse group representing the UA Board of Trustees, university faculty and staff, and the private business sector.
“As a committee, we certainly felt confident that UALR’s next chancellor was among the finalists we brought to campus,” Denman said. “Dr. Rogerson is a unique individual and someone I quickly came to admire as a person and as an administrator, and I’m pleased that he is the candidate Dr. Bobbitt feels is the best fit for UALR.”
The three finalists individually visited campus and participated in public forums, ultimately leading to Bobbitt’s recommendation of Rogerson to the UA Board of Trustees.
“The feedback received from the campus community was extremely helpful in this process, and I’d like to thank all of those who took part in the forums, asked questions of the finalists and shared their thoughts,” Bobbitt said. “I also want to thank everyone involved, especially Bob Denman and the search committee, for their hard work and dedication to this process and congratulate them on their help to identify, recruit and welcome Dr. Rogerson to Little Rock.”
Anderson, who is retiring June 30, spent more than 45 years at UALR, beginning as a political science professor out of graduate school and rising to the ranks of chancellor the last 13 years.
“Dr. Anderson’s lasting and meaningful impact on the campus and in the community is an impressive legacy,” Bobbitt said. “He has earned a great deal of respect through the years and his presence at the helm of UALR will be missed by many. I know that he is invested in UALR’s continued growth and he should feel confident about its future with Dr. Rogerson.”
For more information about Rogerson and the search process visit here.