photo by: Mike Yoder

Kansas University chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little announces a 8 million gift from the estate of two late KU alumni, Madison 'Al' and Lila Self. The gift will go toward scholarships and fellowships for students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business and economics. The donation brings the Selfs' donations to a total of 06 million, the most in university history.

Names of candidates for the next chancellor of the University of Kansas have already started coming in to search leaders, the search committee chairman said a few days ago.

I’ve even received a nomination myself, via Twitter:

I nominate Barack H. Obama. His mom was from here. He's looking for work.

— Gern Blanston (KS) (@gblanstonku) January 23, 2017

If Barack Obama would like to apply, I can now direct him to an official KU web page instead. As of this week, chancellor.ku.edu/chancellor-search is set up for all things KU chancellor search — or, at least all official things KU chancellor search.

The page has a bit about the timeline and process, mailing and email addresses for a representative from the search firm of R. William Funk and Associates and a colorful “Prospectus” booklet to convince potential candidates that KU is a place they want to be. (Obama might like to lead an entity committed to “creating a better world” while situated in a city with a “progressive atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, and sense of fun,” right?)

What’s next? On Monday the search committee chairman, David Dillon, led the last of three planned campus open forums to collect feedback about what the KU community wants in its next chancellor. The committee will use feedback to draft a formal profile statement to be used in the job description and in evaluating candidates. Dillon says the soft application deadline is March 30 but that applications will be accepted until the job is filled.

*

A few other recent tidbits about KU administrators, past and present:

• In case you missed my previous story, KU vice chancellor for public affairs Tim Caboni has been named the preferred candidate to become the next president of Western Kentucky University. He’s scheduled to visit campus and be formally voted on later this week.

• A former KU dean will be the next chancellor of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. University of Tennessee Board of Trustees chose Beverly Davenport as the school’s first female chancellor, starting Feb. 15. Currently interim president at University of Cincinnati, Davenport was previously dean of social sciences at KU, according to Tennessee’s announcement.

• University of California Riverside Provost Paul J. D’Anieri recently resigned his post, facing a faculty vote of no confidence, the school’s student newspaper reported. He will remain on faculty. According to his UC bio, at KU D’Anieri was associate dean for international programs, director of the Center for Russian and European Studies and associate dean of humanities.

*
• I’m the Journal-World’s KU and higher ed reporter. See all the newspaper’s KU coverage here. Reach me by email at sshepherd@ljworld.com, by phone at 832-7187, on Twitter @saramarieshep or via Facebook at Facebook.com/SaraShepherdNews.