The Iowa Board of Regents has hired Bruce Harreld as its 21st president. The Board has unanimously approved him to replace Sally Mason, who retired last month. Harreld is a former IBM executive and Harvard Business School Faculty member.
Harreld was the only one among the four finalists for the UI presidency who was not already leading a college or university. At his public forum in Iowa City Tuesday, many people challenged his qualifications to head a major university. Many others on campus have questioned the quality of the search firm that vetted candidates for the job.
Harreld 's salary has been set at $590,000. He takes office November 2nd.
In a statement, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said he looks forward to working with Harreld, "to ensure Iowa students have access to high-quality, affordable higher education while ensuring that our colleges and universities play a key role in by converting university research into career opportunities for our graduates. ”