Ricardo Azziz, the president of Georgia Regents University, has been named one of three finalists for president of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
Azziz was named president of the Medical College of Georgia in 2010. He led the merger of Augusta State and Georgia Health Sciences universities in 2012, which created GRU, the University System of Georgia’s fourth research university. He also serves as chief executive officer of the Georgia Regents Health System.
UNLV is searching for its 10th president. Campus visits and meetings are scheduled for Azziz and the other candidates — reportedly, UNLV Provost John White and Len Jessup, the dean of the business school at the University of Arizona — during the week of Nov. 10.
The college recently submitted an application for accreditation of a public medical school on its campus. UNLV hopes to admit 60 students in its first medical school class by fall 2017, with plans to expand to 120 students within four years of the school’s opening.
“Universities and health care organizations looking for transformational leadership have approached Azziz on a number of occasions, suggesting that he consider bringing his experience to leadership positions for their organizations,” a statement from GRU said Monday. “… As he engages in a dialogue with a sister institution about their future direction, Azziz remains fully committed to the ongoing vision and rich future of GRU.”
In March, Azziz decided not to pursue a presidential post at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He was one of a handful of candidates for the inaugural leadership post at the new institution. Azziz was also one of 36 nominees to replace University of Florida President Bernie Machem in 2012.
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