The College of Public Service (CPS) will be hosting four finalists for the dean position on campus the week of April 14. All faculty, staff, students and interested members of the community are welcome and encouraged to attend each of the finalist’s campus presentations and ask questions about their qualifications to lead the college. The campus presentations will be open to all campus constituents.
See the full search committee listing below.
Meet the Candidates
Jon Caudill | Monday, April 14
Dr. Jonathan “Jon” Caudill joined UCCS in 2016 as a tenured faculty member and graduate program coordinator for criminal justice. He currently serves as the Interim-Dean for the College of Public Service at UCCS and holds an appointment as a tenured professor in the Criminal Justice Department. Dr. Caudill holds an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University and holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Dr. Caudill is from Breathitt County, Kentucky and grew up between there and Houston, Texas. Dr. Caudill graduated from Cypress Creek High School in Houston and swiftly entered the United States Marine Corps. After his military service, he continued on a path of service through continuing his education and working in various roles, including shift work in residential corrections for juvenile offenders and as a Texas Juvenile Probation Officer. Dr. Caudill’s higher education career began as a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he served as a research fellow and interim-director for research in the Caruth Police Institute’s leadership development efforts at the Dallas Police Department.
Dr. Caudill’s academic career has focused on bridging the gap between communities through application of a public criminologist mindset and a teacher-scholar model of education. Dr. Caudill has worked in multiple university systems in several different states and with community leaders across a wide swath of interests. Dr. Caudill has taught a range of undergraduate and graduate courses in criminal justice, from undergraduate introduction courses to graduate level courses on organizational administration and leadership. Dr. Caudill’s scholarly works focus broadly on the application of formal social control with a synergy in the nexus between people and systems.
Dr. Caudill has a passion for education and is solutions focused. His work with agencies and organizations as they navigated institutional change, such as criminal justice reforms and program development, helped to shape Dr. Caudill’s approach to organizational leadership.
Dr. Caudill enjoys spending time with his family of five and many animals, and he encourages a work environment that is supportive of families and children.
- Campus Presentation Time and Location: Monday, April 14 from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in UC 303
- Campus Presentation Recording
Submit a question for Jon here
Evaluation Form due Tuesday, April 22 by 5 p.m.
William Wells | Wednesday, April 16
Dr. William Wells is Director of the Center for Intelligence and Crime Analysis in the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University and is a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. He is also Acting Vice President for Research and Strategic Partnerships at SHSU. Dr. Wells is a collaborative leader who uses inclusive processes and practices to accomplish goals and is committed to transparency and shared governance.
Dr. Wells served as Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at SHSU from August 2016 to December 2022, leading one of the largest criminal justice programs in the United States. While department chair, he enhanced student access and success by expanding course delivery so undergraduate degree programs in the department could be completed on-line, creating new certificate programs, and building stronger partnerships with several units on campus. He also strengthened the department’s infrastructure by adding seven new full-time faculty positions, creating multiple administrative positions in the department, and expanding the department’s research portfolio. Since establishing the Center for Intelligence and Crime Analysis in January 2023, Dr. Wells has coordinated the delivery of 26 professional development courses to more than 560 working professionals, established a multidisciplinary undergraduate minor and a certificate in Crime Analysis and Mapping, and facilitated the creation of crime analysis internship positions. The Center received federal funding in fall 2024 to expand course offerings in additional locations.
Through collaboration with students, faculty, staff, and community partners, Dr. Wells works to enhance student success, broaden research impact, and support institutional priorities. He leads research that provides opportunities for students, advances policy and practice, and contributes to scholarly discussions. He has established productive partnerships with community organizations across his career and has participated in externally-funded projects of more than $4.5 million. As a reflection of his accomplishments, Dr. Wells received the SHSU award for Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Accomplishments in 2021, the SHSU Inclusive Excellence Award in 2023, and the College of Criminal Justice Excellence in Community Engagement Award in 2023. Dr. Wells earned his Ph.D. in 1999 from the University of Nebraska Omaha.
- Campus Presentation Time and Location: Wednesday, April 16 from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in UC 303
- Campus Presentation Recording
Submit a question for William here
Evaluation Form due Tuesday, April 22 by 5 p.m.
Jo Ann Regan | Thursday, April 17
Jo Ann R. Regan, PhD, MSW, is a mission-driven leader in public service and social work education, currently serving as Dean of the National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Her career reflects a steadfast commitment to advancing the public good through innovative academic programming, inclusive student support, and dynamic community and governmental partnerships. She brings a collaborative leadership style and a passion for preparing students to serve diverse communities through ethical, interdisciplinary, and evidence-informed practice.
As Dean for the past five years, Dr. Regan has secured over $7 million in scholarship funding, including $5 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to support underrepresented students pursuing social work careers focused on homelessness, substance use, and behavioral health. She expanded student access through online, hybrid, and international education pathways, and launched certificate programs responsive to pressing social issues. She also established NCSSS’s first Board of Visitors to enhance philanthropic support and contributed to a $500 million university-wide capital campaign.
Nationally, Dr. Regan served nine years with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), where she was Vice President of Education and Director of Accreditation. She led key initiatives to strengthen competency-based education, accreditation standards, and faculty development for over 800 accredited programs nationwide.
Her academic background includes faculty roles at several universities and public service experience in child welfare and mental health. Her research focuses on distance education, technology integration, quality assurance, and competency-based assessment. In 2021, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to conduct comparative research on social work competencies in the U.S. and the Czech Republic at Palacký University.
A proud Marine spouse and daughter of a career Air Force service member, Dr. Regan has lived across the country and abroad, fostering a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and commitment to service. She and her family now have strong ties to Colorado, where her son is currently a freshman in college.
- Campus Presentation Time and Location: Thursday, April 17 from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in UC 303
- Campus Presentation Recording
Submit a question for Jo Ann here
Evaluation Form due Tuesday, April 22 by 5 p.m.
Kyle Farmbry | Friday, April 18
Dr. Kyle Farmbry recently completed a three-year term as President of Guilford College in Greensboro, NC.
Previously, he served as a professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) at Rutgers University-Newark. From August 2013 to July 2019, he served as Dean of the Graduate School at Rutgers University-Newark. Prior to joining the faculty of Rutgers, Farmbry taught at The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Diego State University, and Grand Valley State University
In 2017-2018, Dr. Farmbry served as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow, and worked with the Vice-Chancellor (President) of the University of Pretoria in South Africa and participated in the implementation of the University of Pretoria – Mamelodi Campus’ anchor institution strategy. In 2016 he served as a Fulbright Fellow examining European Union immigration policies — with an emphasis on the challenges of North African refugee integration in the nation of Malta. In February of 2009, he was selected as one of thirty-five people from around the world to serve as a Fulbright New Century Scholar for a project examining youth entrepreneurial and civic engagement in South Africa.
Dr. Farmbry’s work has been supported by the Open Society Foundations, the South African Department of Higher Education and Training, the United States Fulbright Commission, the United States Embassy in South Africa, IBM Center for the Business of Government, and the TIAA Institute.
Dr. Farmbry is the author of Administration and the Other: Explorations of Diversity and Marginalization in the Political Administrative State (2009), Crisis, Disaster, and Risk: Institutional Response and Emergence (2012), and Migration and Xenophobia: A Three Country Exploration (2019). In 2014, he edited The War on Poverty: A Retrospective.
He has served on the Board of Trustees of the George Washington University, as a Fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration, a Trustee of the College Board, and as a TIAA Institute Fellow.
Dr. Farmbry received his BA, MPA, and Ph.D. degrees from The George Washington University. He completed his J.D. degree at the Rutgers University School of Law.
- Campus Presentation Time and Location: Friday, April 18 from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in UC 303
- Campus Presentation Research
Submit a question for Kyle here
Evaluation Form due Tuesday, April 22 by 5 p.m.
Search Committee:
Co-Chairs:
- Ying Shang – Dean, College of Engineering and Applied Science
- George Rus – Associate Dean, Letters, Arts, and Sciences
Committee Members:
- Laurel Bidwell – Associate Professor, Social Work (Faculty Assembly Representative)
- Jevita Rogers – Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management & Financial Aid (Staff Council Representative)
- Pam Sawyer – Director of Strategic Initiatives (Equity Advocate)
- Cathy Simmons – Professor w/ Tenure, Department of Social Work (CPS Faculty Representative)
- Henriikka Weir – Associate Professor, Criminal Justice (CPS Faculty Representative)
- Edin Mujkic – Associate Professor w/ Tenure, Homeland Security (CPS Faculty Representative)
- Ila DeBose – Clinical Assistant Professor & BSW Practicum Director (CPS Faculty Representative)
- Robin Kempf, Associate Professor, Administrative Operations (CPS Faculty Representative)
- John Barnett, Associate Teaching Professor, Administrative Operations (CPS Faculty Representative)
- Kara Carnes-Holt – Professor, Counseling & Human Services (COE Faculty Representative)
- Steve Recca – Director of the Center for Human Security (Staff Representative)
- Cortney Strack-Loertscher – Business and Finance Operations Manager (Staff Representative)
- Steve Parker – CPS Advisory Board (Community Member)
- Matthew Dower – Graduate Student, College of Public Service (Graduate Student Representative)