FARGO, N.D. – The new leader at North Dakota State University was one of around 60 candidates that began the process once former president David Cook announced he’d be leaving.
“The search committee did a lot of work over the last month or so and sorted it down to three really great candidates,” North Dakota University System Commissioner Brent Sanford said. “These are three people that have done a lot of heavy lifting in higher education, a lot of vision, a lot of passion, but three very different candidates in the end.”
When it came down to it, Sanford said ‘Marshall Stewart’s going to be a great next president for NDSU.’
“The board was unanimous in feeling that Dr. Marshall Stewart was the best candidate for this time for NDSU with this point in where it’s come with enrollment and some consolidation of colleges and programs and now ready to take off again on enrollment,” he said.
Sanford says that, with Stewart being known as a collaborator and a visionary man, that ‘he knows that the whole state’s success is important here and what he does down here at NDSU can affect the rest of us.’
“Who knows, it might be an opportunity for one of the local campuses and extension can be a part in those local communities with those local campuses,” he said. “They’re in every county so there’s a lot of reach that this unique model of a land grant has, and he’s got a very strong grasp of that.
Stewart will begin his role on May 28.
