With wire reports

Provost Richard Herman will be staying at the University — for now. Herman spent this week in Gainesville, Fla., interviewing for the position of president at the University of Florida.

He was among the three final candidates, but James Bernard Machen, president of the University of Utah, got the job instead.

Herman was in Florida at the time of this report and unavailable for comment.

In March 2002, the provost was in a similar situation — he vied for university president at Texas A&M; however, he asked to have his name crossed off the list of the top three candidates.

In 2002 he explained his reasons for leaving the search process. "The reasons are both complex and personal, in the end, I decided it would be better not to pursue it."

Herman has been provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University since 1998. Before coming to the University, he was dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Maryland in College Park, as well as chair of the mathematics department at Pennsylvania State University.

He is the head academic and budget officer of the campus with all deans and directors of academic units reporting to him. He oversees academic and budgetary policy and priorities.

Herman and the other two candidates found out about the Florida decision Wednesday night. Earlier that afternoon, he said he believes Florida can become a world-class institution.

"I come from a top 10 institution," Herman said. "I think I know how to do it because I have done it."

The University of Florida launched its search in February to replace president Charles Young. Young became interim president and later president of the university in 1999.