Provost search narrows to two

HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University is down to two candidates for its provost position, vacated by the recent retirement of Sarah Denman.

The candidates, Gayle L. Ormiston and Barbara Schirmer, were on campus over the past week meeting with various faculty groups, administrators and students.

MU Chief of Staff Bill Bissett said a decision on who gets the job could be made as early as next week.

"The good news is that we have two excellent candidates to be the next provost at Marshall University," Bissett said. "We will make an announcement as soon as we've reached a decision."

The two were selected from a national search that included numerous candidates, Bissett said.

"The question now is which candidate is a better fit for Marshall," he said.

Ormiston is associate provost for faculty affairs and curriculum director at Kent State University. Schirmer serves as vice president of academic affairs at the University of Detroit, Mercy.

Denman announced her retirement over the winter break during the past academic year, though she didn't leave her post until classes ended in May.

University officials have said it will be difficult to replace Denman, who was an iconic figure at Marshall and a tireless promoter for the university.

She had been provost for 12 years and had been employed with Marshall University for more than 30 years. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Marshall.

The provost serves as the chief academic officer at Marshall, reporting directly to the university president.