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The University of Minnesota Board of Regents has selected four finalists for the U's interim president opening. 

Why it matters: The temporary successor to outgoing president Joan Gabel will take charge at a critical time for the institution and its flagship Twin Cities campus. 

The U is facing tuition hikes, enrollment declines and the impacts of a proposed hospital merger between Fairview and Sanford Health. 

Zoom in: The board met and named four finalists on Thursday:

Jeffrey Ettinger, chair of the Hormel Foundation Board of Directors and former chief executive officer of Hormel Foods Corporation. 

Myron Frans, senior vice president for finance and operations at the University of Minnesota and a former head of the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget.

Mary Holz-Clause, chancellor of the University of Minnesota Crookston. 

E. Thomas Sullivan, president emeritus and professor at the University of Vermont and a former U of M provost and senior vice president. 

How we got here: Gabel announced in early April that she's leaving after four years to lead the University of Pittsburgh.

Applications for the interim post opened briefly late last month. 

What's next: Finalists will sit for public interviews as soon as next week, per a university release.

Regents have said they hope to pick someone in May, in order to get them in place before Gabel's last day. 

Here's who's in the running to (temporarily) lead the University of Minnesota

A former Hormel CEO and state budget chief are both in the mix.

student walks in front of U of M building with bare trees

Students the U could have a new interim leader by the end of the month. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents has selected four finalists for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U&#x27;s interim president opening" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/04/03/joan-gabel-leaving-university-of-minnesota-for-pittsburgh" data-vars-content-id="0409c577-3fb6-449e-98cf-1a005a44c6a4" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s who&#x27;s in the running to (temporarily) lead the University of Minnesota" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/04/03/joan-gabel-leaving-university-of-minnesota-for-pittsburgh" target="_self">U&#x27;s interim president opening</a>. Why it matters: The temporary successor to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="outgoing president Joan Gabel " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/04/03/joan-gabel-leaving-university-of-minnesota-for-pittsburgh" data-vars-content-id="0409c577-3fb6-449e-98cf-1a005a44c6a4" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s who&#x27;s in the running to (temporarily) lead the University of Minnesota" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/04/03/joan-gabel-leaving-university-of-minnesota-for-pittsburgh" target="_self">outgoing president Joan Gabel </a>will take charge at a critical time for the institution and its flagship Twin Cities campus.

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