4:25 p.m., May 2, 2007--Three candidates for the post of vice president for student life will visit the University of Delaware campus this month to meet with various campus groups, including students, faculty and administrative staff.

Visiting the campus will be:

• Larry W. Lunsford, associate vice president for student affairs and university ombudsman at Florida International University in Miami, on May 7-8;
• James F. Conneely, vice president for student affairs at Eastern Kentucky University, on May 9-10; and
• Michael A. Gilbert, assistant vice president of campus student services at Penn State University at University Park, on May 14-15.

Lunsford is associate vice president for student affairs and university ombudsman at Florida International University in Miami, an institution with an enrollment of about 39,000 students. He has served at Florida International since 1996, as assistant vice president for student affairs, associate dean for campus life and director of student affairs. Earlier, Lunsford worked in a variety of roles in student affairs at Robert Morris College, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Evansville.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Lunsford received his master's degree in college student personnel administration at Indiana University and his doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Pittsburgh.

Conneely is vice president for student affairs at Eastern Kentucky University, an institution with an enrollment of about 18,000 students. He has been at Eastern Kentucky since 2003, and also holds a faculty position as associate professor of educational leadership. Before joining the administration at Eastern Kentucky, he served for 10 years at the University of Arkansas, where he was assistant vice chancellor for student affairs from 2000-03. Earlier, Conneely worked in a variety of roles in housing and residence life at Emory University, Villanova University and the University of Northern Iowa.

A graduate of St. Bonaventure University, Conneely earned his master's degree in education at Alfred University and his doctorate in higher education administration at Georgia State University. He also holds a Management Development Program Certificate from Harvard University.

Gilbert is assistant vice president of campus student services at Penn State University at University Park, an institution with an enrollment of about 43,000 students. It is a position he has held since 2005. Before joining the administration at Penn State, he was director of housing services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1995-2005. Earlier, Gilbert worked in a variety of roles in residence life and student affairs at Northeastern University, North Carolina State University, the University of Wisconsin, Illinois State University and Michigan State University.

A graduate of the University of Vermont, Gilbert received his master's degree in student personnel services in higher education at Michigan State University and his doctorate in higher education policy, research and administration at the University of Massachusetts.

For additional information on the candidates, visit [www.udel.edu/PR/vpsearch].

The vice president for student life reports to the provost and vice president for academic affairs and is responsible for such functions as campus life, career services, counseling, health services, judicial affairs, multicultural programs, residence life, services for athletes, student center and student wellness.

The eight-member search committee is chaired by Pierre Hayward, vice president and University secretary, and members are Bobby Gempesaw, dean of the Lerner College of Business and Economics; Kathryn Goldman, director of the Office of Judicial Affairs; Kathleen Kerr, director of Residence Life; Jonathan D. Lewis, senior psychologist in the Center for Counseling & Student Development; Wunyabari Maloba, associate professor of Black American studies, history and women's studies and assistant vice president for affirmative action and multicultural programs; Judith K. Morgan, doctoral student in clinical psychology; and Rose Overbey, a senior, majoring in psychology and English, and president of the Student Government Association.