The president of the University of Wisconsin System told The Badger Herald this week that the committee charged with finding a replacement for Interim Chancellor David Ward has interviewed 10 semifinalists so far. 

UW System President Kevin Reilly said the search-and-screen committee is in the middle of a process of narrowing down the 10 semifinalists to a shortlist that he said he hopes will be revealed by the end of next week. He added he is not familiar with specifics of the list of candidates.  

“Based on the conversations I have had with [Search-and-screen Committee Chair] David McDonald, we are very optimistic, and I am quite confident we will get a group of very good candidates for one of the best jobs in American higher education,” Reilly said.

As the end of the process approaches, the names of seven candidates from the preliminary applicant pool who chose not to request confidentiality were released Monday.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported earlier this week that Vinod Anand, Martin Shapiro, Matthew Snipp, Brian Strom, Albert Wiley Jr., Johann-Dietrich Worner and Stephen Trask compose part of the list of candidates to replace Interim Chancellor David Ward in Bascom Hall. 

McDonald said these seven candidates are just a part of the 69 applications the committee received, according to the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty. He said the rest of the candidates’ names are to remain confidential.

“I have been very pleased with the diligence, thoroughness and mutual respect shown by my colleagues,” McDonald said. “I am looking forward to bringing our work to a successful conclusion.”

McDonald said the committee is working toward agreeing on a list of about five finalists to submit to the Board of Regents’ Special Committee, whose members will decide their choice to serve as the next UW chancellor, he added.