Montana Tech Announces Chancellor Finalists

Montana Tech announced today that four candidates for the chancellor position at Montana Tech will visit the campus in the next two weeks.

Candidates will each hold an open public forum on campus on 3/25 | 3/28 | 3/29 | 4/5 at 4:00pm, please see the search webpage for specific information on each candidate's campus visit schedule: https://www.mtech.edu/chancellor-search/

The candidates are:

Dr. Paul W. Jagodzinski is the Dean of the College of the Environment, Forestry and Natural Sciences at Northern Arizona University. He has been with the university since 2009. Prior to his tenure with Northern Arizona, Dr. Jagodzinski guided the work of the Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry in the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Jagodzinski also has demonstrated leadership and classroom teaching talents at West Virginia University.Jagodzinski holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Texas A&M University, BS in Chemistry from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now New York University Tandon School of Engineering)

Dr. Les P. Cook is Vice President for Strategic University Partnerships at Michigan Technological University. The university has welcomed his leadership in other roles since 2003, including the position of Vice President for Student Affairs and Advancement where he led alumni engagement; dean of students; enrollment, marketing, and communications; and intercollegiate athletics and recreation. Dr. Cook also has served at the University of the Pacific, the University of Utah, and Salt Lake Community College. He holds an EdD in Educational Leadership from Brigham Young University, a MSS in Public Administration from Utah State University, and a BS in Political Science in Utah State University

Dr. John F. Barthell is Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma, a responsibility he has held since 2013. He began his association with Central Oklahoma in 1995, serving in previous positions as a professor through a deanship of Central's College of Mathematics and Science. Dr. Barthell has known classroom teaching firsthand as both a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the University of Central Oklahoma. Barthell holds a PhD from Entomology from University of California, Berkeley, a BA in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley

Ms. Sandra M. Stash is the Executive Vice President of Safety, Operations and Engineering, and External Affairs for Tullow Oil (London). She has had extensive international experience in over 25 countries in areas as diverse as operations and engineering, sustainability, and external affairs to compliance and governance and business transformations. Ms. Stash was a Director for the Montana Tech Foundation from 1999 to 2007 and again in 2010 to 2018, serving as Chair from 2013 to 2016. She holds a BS in Petroleum Engineering from Colorado School of Mines.

“I encourage all members of the campus and community to attend the open forum to ask questions and provide feedback,” noted Brock Tessman, chair of the search committee.

The new chancellor will replace Dr. Donald M. Blackketter who will retire from Montana Tech on June 30, 2019.

For more information, please contact Dr. Brock Tessman | btessman@montana.edu or Amanda Badovinac at abadovinac@mtech.edu.