DeBrenna Agbényiga

Gilbert Brown

Four new finalists for the position of Kansas University’s vice provost for diversity and equity will visit campus in coming weeks, KU announced Friday.

DeBrenna Agbényiga, associate dean for graduate studies in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University, will give a public presentation on Monday. Gilbert Brown, associate dean in the College of Education at Missouri State University, will present on Wednesday.

KU expects to name the other two finalists next week, and their visits are scheduled for March 31 and April 3.

This will be the second round of finalists for the open job. In June, the same month Fred Rodriguez — who’d held the job since it was created in 2011 — retired from the position, four finalists to replace him were announced and visited campus for public forums.

“None of them were chosen, so we re-opened the search,” KU spokesman Joe Monaco said.

The candidates coming to town next week both hold doctorate degrees and associate dean positions at other public universities.

According to biographical information provided by KU, Agbényiga oversees graduate studies and inclusion in Michigan State’s College of Social Science. She leads and is founding director of the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Academic Affairs. Her research interests focus on organizational culture, international social and economic development, women’s rights, children’s rights, human rights, immigration, cross-cultural learning and diversity.

Brown, who earned his undergraduate degree at KU, also is program director for the school’s Student Affairs in Higher Education master’s program. He co-edited the 2005 book “Unleashing Diversity on College Campuses” and wrote the 1997 monogram “Helping African American students Get Ready and Graduate from College” and the 1994 book “Debunking the Myth: Stories about African American College Students,” according to KU.