Tuesday, May 2, 2006 | 7:28 a.m.
And then there were three.
One of the four finalists in UNLV's presidential search dropped out of the race Monday, saying that for a variety of reasons he did not think the Las Vegas university was the "best fit" for him personally.
Yash Gupta, who resigned as dean of the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business in February to pursue a college presidency, didn't elaborate on his reasons but said he was still looking at other presidential offers. Gupta previously sought the top job at the University of Arizona.
His candidacy at UNLV had raised eyebrows among faculty and staff because of his resignation from USC and his close connection with Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Jim Rogers.
Rumors have been flying around UNLV for months that Rogers pushed outgoing President Carol Harter out to put one of his own people into the job, and Gupta was on the short list of possible candidates.
Gupta said the two share a mutual admiration, but their professional friendship only goes back a year. He approached Rogers, a USC alumnus, to serve on his leadership board for the Marshall School of Business and then invited him to be a graduation speaker in May 2005. He said Rogers never asked him to apply for the UNLV job.
Gupta said he decided to step down from his USC post after his failed Arizona bid because he then received interest from other universities and he didn't want to damage the USC business school's $400 million fundraising campaign.
Still scheduled for interviews Wednesday are Lt. Gen. Bill Lennox, superintendent of West Point; Marvin Krislov, vice president and general counsel for the University of Michigan; and David Ashley, executive vice chancellor and provost for the new University of California, Merced.
"Best fit," is a phrase regents and search committee members have been throwing around a lot the last few weeks as they searched for the right person to lead UNR.
It's been used so much, in fact, that Regent Doug Hill asked committee members during Monday's meeting to define what they meant and give reasons for why one person fit better than another.
"I know what 'fit' means when we are talking about shoes, but I don't know what it means when we are talking about people," Hill said.
In the end, regents decided that Milton Glick, executive vice president and provost at UNR, was a better fit than Steve Wells, president of Nevada's Desert Research Institute.
Ultimately, regents and search committee members believed Glick's track record at Arizona State proved he had the experience and leadership style to push UNR farther.
"Glick has been where we are now and is now where we want to be," Regent Michael Wixom said.
The Community College of Southern Nevada raised close to $300,000 for student scholarships Saturday night at the college's 35th anniversary gala at Caesars Palace. The dinner and silent auction celebrated the community college's educational achievements over the last 35 years.
Rogers, the millionaire media owner of Sunbelt Communications, is responsible for close to half of that money. He challenged donors by agreeing to match the first $1,000 donations up to $10,000 and any $10,000 donations up to $100,000. Rogers' total bill for the event was $74,000.
"When I think of the students who will benefit from those scholarships, it would take a plastic surgeon to remove the smile from my face," said Jacque Matthews, community relations director for the CCSN Foundation.
CCSN teaches 36,000 students a year in a vast array of associate's degrees and technical training.
UNLV student Nick Hurd won $25,000 last week during an episode of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."
Hurd, 24, walked away with the cash after incorrectly answering the $50,000 question, which involved selecting which U.S. official is housed in the East Wing of the White House. (It's the first lady.)
A hotel administration major, Hurd taped the show in Orlando in January. The money will cover his student loans.
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