Dr. Steven Leath, one of the founding fathers of the N.C. Research Campus and vice president for research for the University of North Carolina System, is a finalist for president of Iowa State University.
The university’s search committee said Monday the finalists are Leath and Kumble Subbaswamy, provost of the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
Leath has been active in helping to establish the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis, where he first worked for N.C. State University. He most recently ran day-to-day operations for the David H. Murdock Research Institute until former N.C. State chancellor Dr. James Oblinger took over as its president.
Leath still serves on the board of directors of the institute, the nonprofit centerpiece of the fledgling life-sciences hub in downtown Kannapolis.