USF President Judy Genshaft may be coming to a decision on who the new medical dean will be this week.

Michelle Carlyon, director of media relations, said there is no timetable for the decision, but Genshaft hopes to make a choice on one of the finalists this week.

Genshaft has stated that she would like to have a new dean in place by the time the fall semester starts in August.

The president met with the final six about two weeks ago and then narrowed the list down to three last week. Genshaft, along with the USF Board of Trustees, met with the final three last week for their second interview.

On June 6, Genshaft had cut the field of six candidates down to three. She selected interim dean Robert Belsole, a hand surgeon and veteran USF faculty member; Valerie Parisi, chairwoman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina and Stephen Klasko, a dean of Drexel University College of Medicine, located in Philadelphia.

“The president doesn’t hold one candidate above the other,” Carlyon said.

Carlyon added who there were originally 19 candidates that were brought from the search committee after it conducted a nationwide search. The candidates were narrowed down to six and then three. Vice President of Research Ian Phillips heads the search committee for the new dean.

Belsole is the only one of three final candidates who has ties with USF and Tampa General Hospital, where most of the school’s medical residents train. Ron Hytoff, TGH president and chief executive officer, told Genshaft and the committee members at a meeting last week that Belsole should be among the finalists because of his history at USF and TGH. According to the Tampa Tribune, Hytoff also said the job Belsole has done in the eight months he has served as interim dean is noteworthy.

Carlyon said that Genshaft is looking for a person to the fill the position who has the “chemistry to come in and get things started” and will make at least a five-year commitment.

“She is looking for a person that will represent all areas of the college of medicine, nursing and public health as well as the construction,” Carlyon said. “He or she needs to mesh well with all three and come in and the hit the ground running.”

The search for a new dean began in October 2003 when Genshaft asked former medical dean Robert Daughtery to step down. His replacement came at the same time as Genshaft found out that Daughtery had asked members of his staff to donate to Rep. Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, U.S. Senate campaign. Daughtery asked about 25 of his top-ranking employees for at least $2,000 in contributions to the Byrd campaign.

The new dean will oversee 2,800 employees and 1,800 students, and will also serve as vice president of USF’s Health Sciences Center, which consists of the colleges of medicine, nursing and public health.