Staff Writer

ONEONTA — Hartwick College officials are expected to choose a successor to outgoing President Richard Detweiler by the end of next week, college officials said Wednesday.

A presidential search committee has narrowed its original pool of 157 candidates to three applicants, the first of whom will be interviewed today, said Edward Mettelman, search committee chair and board trustee.

The search committee is expected to make its final recommendation to the board of trustees on Friday, May 2, Mettelman said.

"All three candidates have been very helpful in providing inspirational leadership and the ability to bring the campus and the various constituencies together," Mettelman said.

Detweiler, president of Hartwick since 1992, announced his retirement in October, effective this June. Hartwick is a private liberal arts college that enrolls about 1,400 students.

Scheduled for today's interview on campus is Richard P. Miller Jr., vice chancellor and chief operating officer of the State University of New York.

A graduate of Middlebury College, Miller was senior vice president and chief operating officer at the University of Rochester from 1986 to 2000. He also serves as a trustee of Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Miller's business experience included positions as president and chief executive officer and vice president and sales manager of Case-Hoyt, and New England sales manager for Head Ski Corp. He is also a community service leader and a decorated Vietnam veteran, according to a biography supplied by Mettelman.

"(Miller) is a non-traditional candidate in that he doesn't have an advanced degree," Mettelman said. "But he's a war hero and a successful businessman who is also dedicated to higher education."

Hartwick's second candidate, Erik J. Bitterbaum, has been the president of West Virginia University at Parkersburg since 2000. He is also regional vice president of the University of West Virginia at Morgantown.

He holds a B.A. and a M.A. in biology from Occidental College. He also holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Florida.

Bitterbaum has held past administrative positions at Missouri Southern State College and at Methodist College.

According to his biography, Bitterbaum has extensive teaching experience, has been the recipient of many awards and grants and has published both scholarly works and award-winning poetry.

Bitterbaum's interview is scheduled for Saturday.

"He is qualified in the traditional sense," Mettelman said, referring to Bitterbaum's position as a sitting college president. "He has an understanding of the small liberal arts college and he's probably the most well-rounded person in our candidate pool."

Each candidate's interview will involve meeting with community leaders, one-on-one meetings with Hartwick administration, lunch with students and extensive interviews with professors and other staff, Mettelman said.

The day-long interviews will each culminate with a board of trustees dinner.

The final candidate, scheduled for an interview Tuesday, is Thomas F. Flynn, senior fellow for the Council of Independent Colleges.

He holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and received an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Flynn was president of Millikin University from 1998 to 2002 and is former vice president for academic affairs and a professor of English at Millikin.

He was senior fellow in the president's office of Georgetown University during his 1993 sabbatical and formerly served as an associate/assistant professor of English and dean of undergraduate studies at Mount St. Mary's College.

"(Flynn) is from the Northeast," Mettelman said. "He guided (Millikin) through difficult times and has a wonderful fund-raising record as well."

Among the characteristics Hartwick is looking for in a president, according to Mettelman, are fund-raising abilities, communication skills, business acumen and the ability to lead and inspire.

"The question we're asking is who is the right guy for this moment in time in Hartwick history," Mettelman said.

The right candidate, according to Hartwick College German Professor Wendell Frye, is someone who can demonstrate academic leadership.

"I would prefer to have an academic leader who would facilitate a reasonable academic atmosphere," Frye said. "I know fund-raising is important, but that's not my department."

Last fall, a 10-member committee was formed to begin the presidential search. The committee is made up of trustees, Hartwick faculty, the college's Student Senate president and a graduate, who is also president of Hartwick's alumni association.

The process was facilitated by an outside consulting company, RPA Inc. of Williamsport, Pa., which was hired to recruit potential candidates.

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Jill Fahy can be reached at jfahy@thedailystar.com or (607) 441-7221.