Funk Associates Assists Clemson University with the Recruitment of 16th President
June 3, 2026 – Following a national search, Funk Associates has assisted in the recruitment of Kevin Guskiewicz as the 16th president of Clemson University. “The search committee was overwhelmed with the robust and highly qualified candidates who expressed interest in leading our great University,” said search committee chair Cheri Phyfer. “Dr. Guskiewicz rose to the top of a remarkable list with his deep understanding not only of higher education on the national level, but familiarity with Clemson University and its land-grant mission.”
“Kevin Guskiewicz comes to Clemson with extensive experience leading national universities coupled with a vision to guide Clemson into its next chapter,” said board chair Kim Wilkerson. “The entire board of trustees is excited to welcome Dr. Guskiewicz and continue to build upon Clemson’s 136 years of excellence and service to the citizens of this state.”
Through the search process, the committee conducted stakeholder meetings and interviews to engage the campus community in the process prior to the finalization of a position description and criteria for the search. The committee engaged with 18 different stakeholder groups including the faculty and staff senates, student governments, affiliated organizations such as the Alumni Association, IPTAY, the Board of Visitors, Clemson University Foundation, Clemson University Research Foundation and community representatives — among others.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Trustee Phyfer and the search committee for their dedicated service throughout this process,” added Ms. Wilkerson. “Their thoughtful leadership and commitment helped bring forward a visionary leader to shape Clemson’s future.”
Dr. Guskiewicz is a nationally recognized higher education leader, neuroscientist, and academic administrator with extensive experience in university leadership, research, and student success initiatives. Prior to being named president of Clemson University, he served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he oversaw one of the nation’s leading public research universities and guided efforts focused on academic excellence, innovation, healthcare, and community engagement.
Earlier, Dr. Guskiewicz spent decades at UNC-Chapel Hill in a variety of leadership roles, including provost and executive vice chancellor, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, and director of the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center. Widely recognized for his research on concussion prevention and treatment, he has authored numerous scholarly publications and has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine for his contributions to science and higher education leadership.
“To be entrusted with leading a university as respected, ambitious, and beloved as Clemson is both humbling and inspiring,” Dr. Guskiewicz said. “Clemson is a university with tremendous momentum. It’s already considered an outstanding public research university, but what excites me most is its potential for what comes next.”
Clemson University, one of the country’s most selective public research universities, serves a uniquely driven and highly accomplished student body. Ranked as the 24th best national public university by U.S. News & World Report, Clemson is a science- and engineering-oriented college dedicated to teaching, research and service. Founded in 1889, the university is committed both to world-class research and a high quality of life. Clemson has 20,868 undergraduate and 5,538 graduate students. The university offers more than 80 majors and upwards of 90 minors. Its student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1.
Funk Associates is an executive search firm specializing in higher education executive recruitment. The firm has recruited chancellors/presidents for two-thirds of all public AAU universities. The firm has also recruited presidents or chancellors to more than one-half of U.S. News & World Report’s recently published “Top 30 National Universities.” Over time, it has conducted more than 425 searches for college and university presidents and chancellors as well as an even greater number of provosts, deans, and various vice presidents.
Nationally Recognized
The firm has been recognized by the Women’s Network of the American Council on Education (ACE) for its work in recruiting women and minorities to senior levels of higher education. Notably, the search firm has broken the color and/or gender line in president searches at more than 40 institutions around the country, making it one of the most highly sought after search firms across the sector.
R. William “Bill” Funk, founder and CEO, is a widely respected search consultant serving higher education. He has been called the “guru of higher education recruiting” by The Chronicle of Higher Education and is listed as one of the 200 best executive recruiters in the world in The Global 200 Executive Recruiters: An Essential Guide to the Best Recruiters in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America (Jossey-Bass, Inc.). Prior to founding his own firm 16 years ago, Mr. Funk was the national practice leader of the education practice and office managing director of the Dallas office for Korn Ferry International for more than a decade.
Willie Funk is president of the firm. He brings to the position both deep experience in executive recruitment and a thoughtful, client-centered approach that reflects the values of Funk Associates. Mr. Funk has been with the firm for a total of 13 years and has served as the firm’s managing vice president for the past five years.
Related: Funk Associates Recruits Dean for the University of South Alabama College of Engineering
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
