Rose State College Announces Three Finalists for Presidential Search Published March 25, 2025

The Rose State College Board of Regents has announced the three finalist candidates for the position of the eighth president of Rose State College. The finalists were selected from a highly qualified pool of approximately 50 applicants from across the state, region, and nation. 

The three finalists are:

• Mr. Travis Hurst, current Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rose State College.
• Dr. Gregory Nichols, current President and CEO of Salina Area Technical College.
• Dr. Shawn Powell, current President of Eastern New Mexico University – Roswell.

Each finalist will visit the Rose State campus the week of April 7 for a series of informal discussions with classified and professional staff leadership, faculty senate, student senate, and college leadership. Additionally, open forums will be held to provide students, faculty, staff, and the community to meet each candidate and offer feedback to the Board of Regents. 

The schedule for the open forums is as follows:
All forums will be held in the Jeanie Webb Student Union FNB Ballroom 213A. 

• Mr. Travis Hurst– Monday, April 7, 2025, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. and 5:45-6:45 p.m.
• Dr. Gregory Nichols– Tuesday, April 8, 2025, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. and 5:45-6:45 p.m.
• Dr. Shawn Powell– Wednesday, April 9, 2025, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. and 5:45-6:45 p.m.

The Rose State College Board of Regents encourages the campus community to attend these forums and provide valuable feedback, which will be considered in the selection process. The Board of Regents anticipates publicly naming the new president following its meeting on April 17, 2025. 

The incoming president will succeed Dr. Jeanie Webb, who has served as the seventh president of Rose State College since 2013. Dr. Webb has been an integral part of Rose State since 1998, leaving behind a lasting legacy of growth and innovation. 

For more information about the candidates and a complete schedule of events, visit the presidential search webpage at: https://www.rose.edu/presidentsearch/.