Athens State University on Wednesday announced four people as finalists for the position of president.

One of the candidates, Dr. Joe Delap, has served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Athens State since July 2016. The others have held a variety of roles at the collegiate level, from professor to president.

The finalists were selected by the presidential search committee after reviewing all applicants and completing in-person interviews with the top 10 candidates. The four finalists will visit Athens State’s campus over the next two weeks for on-campus interviews. The executive committee of the board of trustees is expected to make a hiring recommendation to the board at the May 17 meeting.

Athens State has been without a full-time president since Dr. Robert Glenn left last July to take a job at the University of Houston-Victoria in Texas. Dr. Ron Ingle, who had once served as interim provost at Athens State, was named interim president following Glenn’s departure.

Last fall, the board of trustees voted to pay $67,500 to Academic Search of Washington to help recruit the school’s next president.

“It is our goal to select the most appropriate candidate who will benefit both the institution and the community,” said Ingle, who leads the search committee. “We were fortunate to have a large applicant pool of very qualified candidates. We are optimistic that the candidate selected will build on the momentum that has been created and be an asset to the institution’s future.”

The new president is expected to begin duties this fall.

The candidates

Dr. Joe Delap

Delap has more than 30 years of teaching experience, 24 years in full-time college leadership and 18 years as a tenured professor at various public and private institutions. He holds the following degrees: Doctor of philosophy and master of arts in Germanic studies from Indiana University, and master of arts in political science (international relations) and bachelor of arts in political science and French from the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Marc Manganaro

Manganaro serves as professor of English at Loyola University in New Orleans. He holds the following degrees: Doctor of philosophy in English from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, master of arts in English from San Francisco State University, and bachelor of arts in English from University of Nebraska at Omaha. His previous roles include serving as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Loyola University from 2012 through 2017 and serving as special advisor to the president from 2017 to 2018.

Dr. Tracy Pellett

Pellett has held many leadership roles throughout his career, including president and professor of education at Glenville State College and provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, professor of education and interim vice president for Advancement at College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick, Georgia. He holds the following degrees: Doctor of education in curriculum and instruction/sport pedagogy from Brigham Young University, master of arts in teacher education/motor learning from Ball State University, and bachelor of arts in health/physical education from Carthage College. Pellett also attended the Institute for Management & Leadership in Education at Harvard University.

Dr. Philip Way

Way most recently served as interim president at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. He holds the following degrees: Doctor of philosophy in industrial and business studies, master of arts in industrial relations from University of Warwick, and bachelor of arts in economics from Selwyn College, Cambridge University. Way also completed the Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship and Visiting Fellowship at Harvard University.