TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Day three of forums for Florida State University's next president as students, faculty and community members asked questions to one of the final candidates.
Finalist Giovanni Piedimonte was interviewed Thursday. He's currently the Vice President for Research and Institutional Official of Tulane University.
He's up against Richard McCullough from Harvard University and Robert Blouin from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
He believes the future for FSU is investing in STEM, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
"I think and specialize in the exact areas where FSU needs to grow," Piedmente said.
One of the students who went to ask him questions was Khamare Garner.
He's an FSU senior, studying political science and music.
"I know FSU is a high intensive research university but it also has a really rich tradition of music dance film," Garner said.
Garner said keeping the traditions of the arts alive is important for him in his next university president.
"The way of the future is having a president who comes from a strong research background, whether that is chemistry, physics or medicine," Garner said. "Being able to hear from him personally as an arts student, that will go a long way."
The board of trustees will take into consideration all of the input from this week's forums and select a name by Monday, May 24.
The name selected Monday won't be made official until the board of governors meeting on June 23.
