UW panel to consider recommending Johnsen as new president

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A search committee is set to meet to consider whether to recommend the University of Wisconsin System regents hire current University of Alaska president Jim Johnsen as system president. The committee advanced Johnsen as the lone finalist for the job after other would-be finalists dropped out of the running for fear if they were identified they wouldn’t be able to effectively combat the coronavirus on their current campuses. The UW search committee’s chairman, Michael Grebe, has said Johnsen was the committee’s favorite anyway. The panel is set to meet in closed session Friday afternoon to discuss whether to recommend Johnsen’s hiring.