Four finalists were named Wednesday for the University of Wisconsin chancellor position that will be vacated when John Wiley steps down this fall.

The only internal candidate on the list is Gary Sandefur, dean of the College of Letters and Science. Sandefur became dean in 2004 but has been a faculty member at the university since 1984. He has served as professor of sociology, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and director of the American Indian Studies Program.

The other candidates include Carolyn Martin, provost at Cornell University in New York; Rebecca Blank, former dean of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan; and R. Timothy Mulcahy, vice president for research at the University of Minnesota.

Martin and Mulcahy both earned their Ph.D.s at UW. Mulcahy was a faculty member from 1985 to 2005, serving as an associate vice chancellor of research policy and an associate dean for biological sciences.

Mulcahy said both his experiences working within the UW campus and at the University of Minnesota have prepared him to take such a leadership position at the university.

“I worked at UW, so I really have an understanding of what it stands for and what its values are,” Mulcahy said. “I also have, over that course, (gained) extensive experience in most, if not all of the domains that would be relevant to the types of roles and responsibilities the chancellor has.”

Blank said her experience at other higher education institutions such as Princeton University, Northwestern University and the University of Michigan have prepared her for the role of chancellor at UW. She said since universities are unique institutions, it is very important to know “something about the people that are there.”

“I understand something about how universities work and particularly how faculty thinks and how students think,” Blank said.

Blank said what attracts her to Wisconsin is the combination of the university’s reputation and outreach the campus makes to the “larger community.”

And though Martin is attracted to the prestige of the university, she said one thing that draws her to UW is the spirit and sense of humor of the students on campus.

The candidates will come to campus to meet with faculty, staff, classified staff, students and community members in an open-forum setting before they meet with the special Board of Regents committee, chaired by Regent David Walsh.

According to UW System spokesperson David Giroux, the special committee will begin discussions after the interviews and present their recommendation to UW System President Kevin Reilly, who will offer the position to the finalist.

Giroux said Reilly plans to present the next chancellor of UW at the June 5 Board of Regents meeting.

Public forums will take place with candidates from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in Memorial Union, and student forums will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Red Gym next Monday through Thursday.

Sandefur was unavailable for comment as of press time Wednesday.