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Feb. 19, 2026 – Today, the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ at Lafayette Presidential Search Committee met in Baton Rouge to review applications for the Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette presidency. The search committee selected three semifinalists to interview in person for Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette's next president.  

The semifinalists are:  

In-person interviews are scheduled for next week: Monday, Feb. 23, and Tuesday, Feb. 24.  

The Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System will release a detailed interview schedule when it is finalized on the . In addition to public interviews, candidates will meet with Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members.  

The search committee's voting members include members of the Board of Supervisors:  

• Mr. Steve Davison – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors 
• Mr. Lee Jackson – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors 
• Mr. Keith Myers – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors 
• Ms. Maria Nechaeva – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors 
• Dr. John Noble, Jr. – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors 
• Mr. Dana Peterson – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors 
• Mr. Mark Romero – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors 
• Ms. Kristine Russell – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors 
• Dr. Leah Orr  â€“ President, Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette Faculty Senate

Serving as advisory, non-voting members are the following:

• Dr. Rick Gallot  â€“ Committee Chair, President, University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System 
• Mr. Georges Antoun – Member, Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette Foundation Board and Representative, Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette College of Engineering 
• Ms. Kimberly Billeaudeau – President, Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette Staff Senate 
• Senator Gerald Boudreaux – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ State Senate, District 24 
• Mr. Jake Delhomme – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette Alumnus and Former NFL Quarterback 
• Representative Julie Emerson – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ House of Representatives, District 39 
• Mr. Ryan Furby – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette Foundation Board Member 
• Mr. Bruce Greenstein – Secretary, Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Department of Health 
• Representative Dustin Miller – Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ House of Representatives, District 40 
• Ms. Onyeka Nwaezeapu – President, Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette Student Government Association 
• Ms. Allyson Pharr – Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Acadian Ambulance 
• Dr. Kip Schumacher – Founder, Schumacher Group/Healthcare Executive 

For more details on the Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette presidential search, visit the on the Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System website.