It's now official. Daniel Bradley will be the 11th president of Indiana State University.
Following a nationwide search that began in the fall of 2007 and attracted well over 100 candidates, Indiana State's Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved the selection of Bradley as the university's next president.
"The Trustees are delighted with the selection of Dr. Bradley as ISU's 11th president. His previous experience as a university president along with his proven track record of strategic plan development and execution, fund-raising, and collaborative communication and leadership will serve ISU very effectively as we continue to build on our prior success," Alley said.
"I feel very honored to be given this position and I am going to work hard to bring the campus and community together to help students succeed and the state prosper," Bradley said.
Bradley is currently president of Fairmont State University in Fairmont, W.Va., where he has served since 2001. He previously held a variety of positions at Montana Tech of the University of Montana, including vice chancellor for academic affairs and research, dean of engineering and head of the petroleum engineering department.
He will assume the presidency of Indiana State on July 31, succeeding Lloyd W. Benjamin III, who stepped down June 30 following eight years in the position. C. Jack Maynard, ISU's provost and vice president for academic affairs, is serving as interim president.
Bradley, who previously visited ISU in May as one of three finalists for the position, will return to the campus later this week for a series of meetings aimed at ensuring a smooth transition to the presidency.
At the trustees' request, Bradley and his wife, Cheri, have agreed to live in Condit House, the historic university-owned home on the ISU campus that has houses offices for the president and staff for the past 16 years.
"The trustees are excited about returning this stately building, the oldest structure on campus, to its former use as the president's residence. It makes a strong statement about the desire to connect with campus and the people who live, learn and work at our university when a president lives in its midst," Alley said.
"The trustees recognize that it will require resources to restore Condit House for use as a home. We pledge to work with the university and the ISU Foundation to identify and secure non-state funds to do so," he said.
A four-year contract with Bradley provides a starting base salary of $265,000 per year.
A U.S. Army veteran, Bradley holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Michigan State University, a master's degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa and a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology.
Also on Wednesday, trustees approved the appointment of Diann McKee as acting vice president for business affairs and finance and university treasurer. A 21-year employee of the university, McKee previous served as associate vice president and university budget officer.
Photo: Daniel Bradley, confirmed by trustees to be Indiana State University's 11th president, responds to a question during a May 2008 visit to campus as one of three finalists for the position.
Media contact and writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu