The Meadows School of the Arts Dean Search Committee has chosen three finalists in the search for Dean Carole Brandt’s successor.

They are Jose Bowen, Dean, School of Fine Arts, Miami University (OH); Douglas Lowry, Dean, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati; and Sharon L. Vasquez, Dean, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts, Wayne State University.

Bowen has a Ph.D. in musicology and humanities, a master’s in music composition and also humanities and a bachelor’s in chemistry, all from Stanford University.

He has taught at Stanford, University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and Georgetown University before arriving at Miami in 2004. Miami is the first school at which he has held the position of dean.

Lowry has a master’s in orchestral conducting and also trombone performance from the University of Southern California. He has a bachelor’s in theory and composition from the University of Arizona.

He worked at USC in many positions, including lecturer, conductor and eventually associate dean from 1989-2000. In 2000 he became dean at Cincinnati.

Vasquez has a master’s in fine arts and a bachelor’s in fine arts from Florida State University.

She worked at the University of Texas at Austin as the director then chairperson of the theatre and dance department from 1984-2000. In 2000, she moved to State University of New York at Rockport, where she became dean of the School of Arts and Performances. In 2004, she took her current position at Wayne State.

Each of the candidates will make campus visits to meet with university administrators, faculty and students. Specific times and dates have not been set yet.

A 16-person committee led by R. Hal Williams, the dean of research and graduate studies, interviewed candidates and narrowed the field, along with current dean Carol Brandt and her staff.