Florida State University’s presidential search committee will meet Friday to whittle down a list of candidates for the school’s top job. Nearly 40 names includes the school’s interim president, who is looking to make her post permanent.
Florida State University’s former President Eric Barron recruited Stokes. She served as provost and when Barron left earlier this year to head Penn State University, Stokes took over as interim president. She says others encouraged her to apply for the job before she made the decision to jump into the fray.
“I think the most important reason I did is that I enjoy being the president and I think I have a lot to offer Florida State University as its leader," she said Wednesday.
FSU’s Presidential Search process has been dogged by charges of political interference stemming from the candidacy of Republican state Senator John Thrasher who emerged as a front-runner long before he formally applied for the job. Also in the mix are Florida Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston and Tallahassee State Representative Michelle Vasilinda. Out of state applicants include several high-level university officials at similar schools, like the University of South Carolina and Virginia Tech.
