PITTSBURG, Kan. — The search for the next president of Pittsburg State University moved into its final phase today with the announcement that four finalists have been invited for on-campus interviews over the next two weeks.

The candidates are Diana B. Carlin, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas; Thomas L. Keon, dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Central Florida; Fletcher M. Lamkin, vice president for institutional advancement at Dominican University of California; and Steven A. Scott, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Pittsburg State University.

A search committee chosen by the Kansas Board of Regents and led by former regent Bill Docking selected the four finalists.

The candidates will meet with various campus and constituent groups and participate in open campus interviews in the following order: Thomas Keon, April 7; Steve Scott, April 9; Fletcher Lamkin, April 14; and Diana Carlin, April 17. A detailed schedule was posted by close of business April 6.

Brief biographies of the candidates follow. More complete biographies will be posted on the Kansas Board of Regents Web site and the PSU Web site today.

Diana B. Carlin holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in education from KU and a Doctorate in speech communication from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has been a member of the KU faculty since 1987 and a full professor at KU since 1999. She has served as acting department chairperson, and interim assistant provost. Carlin is past president of the Kansas and Central States Communication Associations and currently serves as chairperson of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools.

Thomas L. Keon holds a Bachelor of Science in administration from Bentley University, a Master of Education from Suffolk University, a Master of Business Administration from Babson College, and a Doctorate in philosophy from Michigan State University. From 1988 until 1990, he served as chairman of the Department of Management, then as director of graduate studies in the School of Business and finally as associate dean in the College of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri. Keon was associate dean of the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University from 1990 - 1994. He was dean of the College of Business and Administration at Southern Illinois University from 1995-97. He joined the University of Central Florida in 1997.

Fletcher M. Lamkin holds a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a Master of Science from the University of California at Berkley, a Master of Arts from Salve Regina College, and a Doctorate in philosophy from the University of Washington in Seattle. He was a career Army officer from 1964 until 2000. Lamkin was a member of the faculty at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from 1987 until 1995 when he was named dean of the Academy’s Academic Board. From 2000 until 2007, Lamkin was president of Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. He joined Dominican University of California in 2008.

Steven A. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Pittsburg State University, a Master of Science from Oklahoma State University, his Education Specialist from Pittsburg State University, and a Doctorate in education from Oklahoma State University. Scott taught at Northeastern A&M College before joining the PSU faculty in the College of Education in 1989. Scott was named chairperson of the Department of Special Services and Leadership Studies in 1995 and dean of the College of Education in 1999. In 2006, Scott was named to his current position as provost and vice president for academic affairs.