Academic Search

About Us

For more than four decades, Academic Search has offered executive search services to higher education institutions, associations, and related organizations. Academic Search was founded by higher education leaders on the principle that we provide the most value to partner institutions by combining best practices with our deep knowledge and experience. Our mission today is to enhance institutional capacity by providing outstanding executive recruitment services, executive coaching, and transition support, in partnership with our parent organization, the American Academic Leadership Institute.

Academic Search’s accomplished consultants have intimate knowledge of what makes a successful executive leader due to a combined 1600 years of higher education experience, and are unmatched in access to and knowledge about both current and rising leaders in higher education. The consultants leverage their extensive networks to gain access to a wide, diverse, and ever-expanding group of highly qualified potential candidates and referrals forged from relationships they developed from having previously served in campus leadership roles across the country.

Our Services

EXECUTIVE SEARCH

We understand that hiring qualified and effective new team members is critical to the life of any institution. As a trusted search partner, Academic Search is dedicated to providing service that our partner institutions can rely on unequivocally to achieve their recruitment goals and to support their overarching missions. We pledge to serve our partners with robust advocacy for their institutions and complete attention to their needs, while providing expert, ethical advisement and assistance throughout every search.

EXECUTIVE COACHING

Academic Search has long been committed to enhancing presidential and executive effectiveness and capacity through executive coaching. Our Executive Coaching Practice is designed to make strong leaders stronger. Our coaches serve as trusted companions and guides, committed to helping the executives with whom we work accomplish their leadership and institutional goals. This partnership is an invaluable investment in institutional vitality and well-being as much as it is an investment in the executive.

TRANSITION AND ONBOARDING

The creation and execution of a well-structured transition and onboarding plan is imperative to a successful integration process. We work with newly appointed leaders and their institutions in assuring that all are equipped to succeed and to advance the institutions. Our collaborative process is built on the imperatives of culture, context, and relational capital and includes custom-designed workshops that quickly acclimate any new leader to key stakeholders and the campus and broader communities.

For more information, visit www.academicsearch.org.

ACHIEVEMENTS

RECENT PLACEMENTS

Academic Search

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Academic Search is mission driven: We are institution builders focused on partnering with colleges and universities to assemble the best teams possible. We understand that hiring qualified and effective new team members is critical to the life of any institution. As your trusted partner, Academic Search pledges to serve you with robust advocacy for your institution, enthusiasm for your mission, complete attention to your needs, and expert, ethical advisement, and assistance throughout the search process.

One of the hallmarks of Academic Search is our use of a team approach that involves one or more senior consultants as well as a consultant and/or associate consultant. The team we propose for a search will have direct, hands-on overall responsibility for all consulting services provided throughout the search. This is a characteristic that distinguishes us from others and reflects our mission-focused approach. Our accomplished consultants are seasoned and thoughtful leaders who have an intimate understanding of what makes a successful executive leader as well as vast professional networks.

Biographies for other members of our team can be found on the Academic Search website at www.academicsearch.org/our-team.

Academic Search

Solutions And Expertise

Solutions
  • Executive Coaching
  • Executive Search
  • Leadership Consulting
  • Leadership Develop.
  • Onboarding
Industries
  • Associations
  • Colleges/Universities
  • Education
  • Non-Profit
Functions
  • Board/Governance
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • General Management
  • Human Resources

Academic Search

News Briefings

Academic Search Seeking New President for the University of Southern Indiana

Education-focused executive recruitment firm Academic Search has been selected by the University of Southern Indiana to lead in its search for its fifth president. Jay Lemons, Stuart Dorsey, Jennifer Kooken, and Amy Bonsiero are leading the assignment. Ronald S. Rochon announced that he would be stepping down to become the president of California State University. The president is the

The Hartford International University for Religion and Peace Taps Academic Search to Find New Leader

Education-focused executive recruitment firm Academic Search has been retained by the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace to lead in its hunt for its 12th president. Joel N. Lohr, an awarding-winning author, scholar of religion, and transformative leader in higher education, stepped down from this position in July. Leading the assignment are Sharon D. Herzberger, senior consultant; and Carly Place,

Academic Search Recruits Provost for Aurora University

Education-focused executive recruitment firm Academic Search has assisted in the recruitment of Paaige Turner as the new provost and executive vice president for academic affairs for Aurora University. Maya Ranchod Kirkhope led the assignment. “Dr. Turner is an exceptional individual who embodies the enterprising, service-oriented, and creative academic leadership that defines our university,” said Susana Rivera-Mills, president

Colleges and Universities Rely on Search Firms to Find Leaders in Polarizing Times

Academic institutions continue to pump big fees into executive search firms nationwide. Many academic recruiting specialists say business, in fact, has never been better despite some sectors of executive search slowing over the past year. Even smaller recruiting outfits have multiple assignments running concurrently, all at the senior levels, and if there’s any slowdown coming

Academic Search

Press Releases

Building Resilient Leadership: Lessons from Deloitte’s Higher Education Trends

A former colleague shared Deloitte’s 2024 Higher Education Trends report on the latest trends in higher education with me, and it resonated on various levels. The study reveals what many in higher education already suspect: the pressure on institutions’ leaders has never been more significant, and the industry will need to make substantial changes to

Announcing Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner as President in Residence with the American Academic Leadership Institute

Dr. Katherine (Kate) Conway-Turner joins the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) as this year’s President in Residence. Dr. Conway-Turner brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished career in higher education administration to this role. Dr. Conway-Turner’s Experience Dr. Conway-Turner is a nationally and internationally recognized higher education administrator and scholar of applied social psychology.

Academic Search Welcomes Mike Maxey and Timothy Mottet as Senior Consultants

We are pleased to announce the addition of two experienced higher education professionals, Mr. Michael C. Maxey and Dr. Timothy Mottet. Both began as senior consultants earlier this year, bringing valuable experience and insights to support academic institutions in placing strong leaders. Michael C. Maxey Senior Consultant and Senior Executive Coach Mr. Maxey joined Academic

Strengthening Our Executive Coaching Practice with New Director

Academic Search is delighted to welcome Meg Richtman as the new Director of our Executive Coaching Practice. With the significant growth in our coaching engagements since the launch of the practice in 2019, and a team of 25 seasoned coaches, our practice stands at the forefront of fostering leadership in higher education. Ms. Richtman brings

Leaving the Presidency with Grace

Within higher education, there’s a well-known anecdote about outgoing presidents passing on three envelopes of advice to their successors. 1. Blame your predecessor, 2. Reorganize, 3. Make three envelopes. This story amusingly captures the complexities and responsibilities inherent in college and university leadership. When college and university presidents approach retirement, they should be thoughtful about

Academic Search

Multimedia

Talent Talks

The Future of the College Presidency

In this brand new episode of ‘Talent Talks,’ Hunt Scanlon Media host Rob Adams is joined by Scott Miller, president of Virginia Wesleyan University & Jay Lemons, president of Academic Search. In this exclusive podcast, Scott reflects on the evolution  of the college presidency over his 29 years in the industry and then provides an

Videos

Academic Search: Setting the Standard for Excellence in Higher Education Executive Search
Academic Search: Executive Coaching Designed for Higher Education Leaders
Academic Search: Committed to Identifying and Developing Leaders in Higher Education

Podcasts

Today’s higher education leaders share their stories and insights about leadership in the academy. Join host Jay Lemons and his guests for thoughtful conversations and interesting perspectives on leadership.

Leaders on Leadership is brought to you by Academic Search and the American Academic Leadership Institute, who together support colleges and universities during times of transition and through leadership development activities that serve current and future generations of institutional leaders.

To listen to the Leaders on Leadership podcasts, click here!

Further Research/Insights