WINONA, Minn. – The search for a new president of Winona State University will be chaired by an outsider — Kumara Jayasuriya, who is president of Southwest State in Marshall. The appointment was announced by state Chancellor Scott Olson, who himself was president at Winona until he became chancellor in August. Jayasuriya, a Sri Lanka native, was earlier the chief academic officer at West Virginia State. Before that he was at Purdue University. He holds a bachelor’s degree inath from the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka; a master’s, also in math, from Southern Illinois University; and a doctorate, also math, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Members of the search committee, who are still to be appointed, will represent various Winna State shareholders, including faculty, students and townspeople. As chancellor, Olson will make the eventual choice for a president to take over next fall. Olson conducted listening sessions this week with a range of Winona groups. He noted that his Winona successor will need to provide strategic direction for the university, to raise money and to recruit students. Olson was president 11 years.
Jayasuriya. At Southwest State University four years.
Verbatim
Olson: “I’m looking for somebody who really understands what’s unique and special about this institution, what makes it distinctive, how it works with its community; somebody who is really good at shared governance and collaborating with students and the employees.”
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