As University of Wisconsin Provost Paul DeLuca prepares to step down from his position, the university began its search and screen process at its first committee meeting Wednesday.

The provost is the campus’ “right hand person,” Joan Schmit, search and screen committee chair, said. The committee will look for a candidate who is able to work closely with Chancellor Rebecca Blank and complement her skills and talents, she added.

The committee will also seek out someone who has a wide array of strengths and experiences and is able to listen and communicate effectively with people from all the different disciplines across campus, Schmit said. The provost must understand all the disciplines across campus and students at all levels, she said. Additionally, the provost should also be someone who is forward thinking, visionary and has experience working with people, she added.

According to a UW statement, the provost will work closely with the university’s deans and campus leadership, including faculty, staff and students in an effort to design and implement programs for education, research and outreach.

Schmit also said the search committee would solicit candidates from across the globe.

“We understand that there are tremendously talented and capable people here, I would imagine there would be some outstanding candidates from the UW System, and we also want to allow ourselves the opportunity to meet people from around the world and find the individual that’s going to be the very best,” Schmit said.

The committee will spend the next two months debating and identifying potential candidates, Schmit said. The committee expects to announce finalists in April.

The committee currently consists of 17 members, two of whom are students.

The committee will be looking for ways to increase campus and community input throughout the provost search and screen process, Schmit said. The UW community will also be invited to meet the finalists in April, she said.

DeLuca announced in June he would be stepping down and returning to the faculty.

DeLuca has worked with three different chancellors in the past five years and hired a record number of deans in a three or four year process.

In his resignation announcement, DeLuca said, “Being provost has been the most rewarding aspect of my career at UW-Madison, but at the same time it has been a daunting task that required tremendous effort and focus … I am looking forward to returning to medical physics and pursuing some of the research that I love.”