Regents on track to select next University of Hawai‘i president in mid-October

The next president of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system is expected to be announced by mid-to-late October.

The coming announcement follows the completion of a series of public events for the two finalists, Western Michigan University provost and vice president Julian Vasquez Heilig and City University of New York executive vice chancellor and provost Wendy Hensel.

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents will interview both candidates in person at an Oct. 16 special board meeting that will take place in executive session. The regents will meet again on Oct. 17, also in executive session, and are expected to make an announcement on that day or shortly thereafter.

The new president is expected to start by January 2025, succeeding David Lassner, who has served in the position since 2013.

The regents are asking all stakeholders and the public to provide feedback on the finalists that will be taken under consideration as they make their decision. More information on Vasquez Heilig and Hensel can be found on the UH President Search website, including the video recordings of the moderated public forums where they each answered dozens of questions from the in-person and online audience.

Feedback can be submitted as testimony to the Board of Regents via email to bor.testimony@hawaii.edu. The testimony will be posted in the week prior to the Oct. 16 special board meeting.