The University of Toledo Executive Search

Executive Search at the University of Toledo

The executive search team is an internal group comprised of experienced consultants dedicated to identifying and attracting exceptional leaders to the University of Toledo. Our team embraces diverse and innovative recruitment strategies and is familiar with the University, its leadership, and its culture.

WHY WORK AT UToledo?

As a major public research university, UToledo offers a large network of richly diverse people and services, generous benefits, flexible work schedules and a healthy work-life balance … all on vibrant campuses featuring lots of green space. And, because the University is the second largest employer in northwest Ohio, our faculty and staff have many options for professional growth and personal job satisfaction. Search our jobs. Fuel your future.

About The University of Toledo

The University of Toledo is one of just 27 public research universities in the country to offer such a comprehensive menu of academic options — 270+ undergraduate and graduate degree programs across the arts, business, education, engineering, law, medicine, natural sciences, nursing and pharmacy. At UToledo, it's all about the possibilities and opportunities.

Committed to excellence and student success, UToledo has developed a number of long-term plans to ensure continued progress on our institutional priorities. The University of Toledo Strategic Plan is complemented by plans to support diversity, equity and inclusion , campus master plan and strategic enrollment goals.

Meet Some Recent Placements

Bryan Blair

Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics

Bryan B. Blair was selected the Rockets’ new Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics. Currently, Blair leads the team of sport administrators responsible for day-to-day oversight of Washington State’s 17 varsity sports programs as well as overseeing several departmental units focused on student-athlete success. A rising star in intercollegiate athletics, he has been selected to serve on the National Sports Forum’s Steering Committee and the Board of Directors for the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association. He holds a law degree from the University of South Carolina and completed his undergraduate studies at Wofford College, where he was a Division I football student-athlete. Blair will begin at UToledo on May 1

Dilip Das, Ph.D.

Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Dr. Dilip Das will lead UToledo’s diversity initiatives as Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. At the University of Michigan, Das co-led a campus-wide diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan and task forces and implemented a number of task force recommendations to support students with disabilities, Native American students and undocumented students. A graduate of UToledo’s higher education administration doctoral program, Das said he gained much insight into his equity leadership through his dissertation research in which he examined the effects of socioeconomic class and race on the two-year to four-year college transfer process. He will join UToledo May 2.

Floyd Akins

Vice Provost for University Advancement

Floyd Akins, a fundraiser with 25 years of experience in higher education advancement, public relations and admissions, will join The University of Toledo as vice president for University advancement on Feb. 14. Akins comes to UToledo from Michigan State University, where he is associate vice president for advancement, overseeing constituent fundraising, individual giving and prospect development and corporate and foundation engagement.

La Fleur Small, Ph.D.

Vice Provost for Academic Administration and Faculty Affairs

Dr. La Fleur Small joins UToledo as vice provost for academic administration and faculty affairs. Small joins UToledo from Wright State University where she held the title of vice provost of faculty affairs. A medical sociologist and epidemiologist by training, Small’s research focuses on global health, HIV and AIDS among vulnerable health populations. She has served on the editorial board of the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Small earned her Ph.D. in medical sociology and epidemiology and her master’s degree in sociology from the University of Miami, as well as a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Trinity College.onal interest in me as a student and as a future educator. One of the best parts of my college experience has been the one-on-one attention that I have received from my professors.”

Douglas Huffner, J.D.

Associate Vice President for Risk Management and Chief Risk Officer

Douglas Huffner joins UToledo as associate vice president for risk management and chief risk officer. Huffner is known as a leader in the risk management field and most recently served as senior director and chief risk officer at Ohio State University, a position he has held since 2012. He developed and implemented enterprise risk management for the university and hospital system and oversees the risk management, insurance, business continuity, loss control and international risk management programs. Huffner earned his juris doctorate at Duquesne University School of Law and bachelor’s degree in business administration from Robert Morris University.

Anne Fulkerson, Ph.D.

Assistant Vice Provost for Institutional Research

Dr. Anne Fulkerson joins UToledo as assistant vice provost for institutional research. Fulkerson has more than 20 years of experience conducting academic and institutional research at two-year and four-year institutions in Ohio and Michigan. Most recently, she served as director of institutional research at Owens Community College. Fulkerson received a bachelor’s in psychology, a master’s in experimental psychology and a doctoral degree in experimental psychology from UToledo.

Mersiha Hadziahmetovic, M.D.

Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology

Dr. Mersiha Hadziahmetovic joins UToledo as chair of the department of radiation oncology. Hadziahmetovic received her medical degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and received advanced training at Riverside Methodist Hospital, the University of Texas Medical Branch, and The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital.

Joseph Sferra, M.D.

Department of Surgery and Academic Chief of Surgery for ProMedica Health

Dr. Joseph Sferra joins UToledo as chair of the department of surgery and academic chief of surgery for ProMedica. Sferra currently serves as professor and interim residency program director for the department of survery and chief of surgery at ProMedica Physician Group. Sferra received his medical degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and MBA from the University of Michigan.

Kurt Kless, R.N.

Chief Nursing Officer

Kurt Kless joins the University of Toledo Medical Center as chief nursing officer. Kless joins UTMC from Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center in Atlanta, where he most recently served as the interim chief nursing officer and assistant vice president of nursing and professional practice. A native of Cleveland, Kless earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Case Western Reserve University. He also holds a master of science in nursing and a master of business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Marc Seigar, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Dr. Marc Seigar joins UToledo as dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Seigar comes to UToledo from the National Science Foundation where he was a rotating program director in the Division of Astronomical Sciences and from the University of Minnesota at Duluth where he is a professor of physics and astronomy. He also has served as head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and associate dean of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota at Duluth. Seigar earned his Ph.D. in astrophysics from the Liverpool Astrophysics Research Institute and his bachelor’s degree in physics from Imperial College.