University News
WIU Vice President for Finance and Administration Search
January 19, 2023
MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Four candidates for the Western Illinois University Vice President for Finance and Administration position have been chosen to interview on campus Monday, Jan. 23 and Wednesday-Friday, Jan. 25-27.
Candidates include Scott Schneider, vice president for business and finance for Cameron University in Oklahoma (Jan. 23); Aaron Chawla, former chief financial officer for APLA Health and Wellness in Los Angeles, CA (Jan. 25); Paul S. Edwards, chief business officer for Richard Bland College of the College of William and Mary, in Virginia (Jan. 26); and Nafez Alyan, vice president of finance, operations, IT and chief financial officer for Lake Superior State University in Michigan (Jan. 27).
Schneider has served as the vice president for business and finance at Cameron University since 2021. Previously, he was the director of business and support services at Missouri State University in West Plains from 2012-21; an adjunct instructor at MSU from 2009-17; the interim director of information technology services from October 2014-December 2014; March 2015-October 2015 and July 2017-November 2017; the vice president and director of technology for West Plains Bank and Trust Company in Missouri from 2008-12; vice president and chief operating officer at West Plains Bank and Trust Company from 2006-08; network administrator for West Plains Bank and Trust Company from 2003-05; an environmental geologist for Hanford Nuclear Services, Inc. from 2000-2002; an operations mine geologist for The Doe Run Company in Missouri from 1997-2000; and a geologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1995-97.
Schneider earned his doctoral degree in higher education from the University of Arkansas – Little Rock; his MBA from Missouri State University and his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla. His open session with faculty, staff and students will be held from 10:45-11:15 a.m. Monday, Jan. 23 in the University Union Capitol Room, or by Zoom at bit.ly/WIUSCHNEIDER (Meeting ID: 966 0589 0436 and Passcode: 488424.
Chawla served as the CFO for APLA Health and Wellness in California from 2020-21. Previously, he was the associate CFO for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in Los Angeles, CA, from 2016-19; the director of financial planning and analysis for Senior Care Centers in Dallas, TX, from 2014-15; the director of financial analysis for Concentra in Addison, TX, from 2013-14; a lecturer on finance and managerial economics at the University of Texas at Dallas, from 2013-15; did business planning and analysis for Novartis, in Fort Worth, TX, from 2012-13; was director of analysis and reporting and senior manager for new format development and innovation for Walgreens, in Deerfield, IL from 2008-11; was in the finance executive development program for Raytheon from 2006-08; was a finance MBA intern for Microsoft in Washington in 2005; was a principal consultant for Oracle in Virginia from 2002-04; and was a software engineer and TRW Systems Graduate Fellow for Northrop Grumman in Maryland from 1997-2002.
Chawla earned his MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business; his master's degree in computer science from The American University and his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Maryland. His open session with faculty, staff and students will be held from 10:45-11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25 in the University Union Capitol Room, or by Zoom at bit.ly/WIUCHAWLA (Meeting ID: 962 3957 4057 and Passcode: 875296).
Edwards has been the chief business officer for the Richard Bland College of the College of William and Mary since 2018. Previously, he has been an adjunct professor of accounting and business at Liberty University in Virginia since 2007; assistant dean of finance and administration for the University of Tennessee College of Health Professions from 2016-18; assistant vice president for business affairs at Kentucky State University from 2014-16; the manager of accounting for Liberty University from 2007-14; and the senior accountant for Longwood University in Virginia from 2005-07.
Edwards received his MBA from Virginia Tech; his master's degree in accounting from the University of South Florida; his bachelor's degree in finance from Liberty University; his bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of South Florida; his bachelor's degree in finance from Liberty University; and his associate's degree in accounting from Polk Community College. His open session with faculty, staff and students will be held from 1:20-2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in the University Union Capitol Room, or by Zoom at bit.ly/WIUEDWARDS (Meeting ID: 993 8218 0455 and Passcode: 860311).
Alyan has been the vice president of finance, operations, IT and chief financial officer for Lake Superior State University since 2021. Previously, he was a managing partner for Novus International Consultants from 2012-21; the chief financial officer for United Arab Emirates University from 2008-12; the economic and financial advisor to the Ministry of Finance in Qatar from 2007-08; director of the independent schools and finance office for the Supreme Education Council in Qatar from 2003-07; and dean of the business school at American University of Technology in Lebanon from 2001-03.
Alyan received his doctoral degree in economics from the University of Oklahoma; and his master's degree in accounting and financial management from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. His open session with faculty, staff and students will be held from 2:55-3:35p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, in the University Union Capitol Room, or by Zoom at bit.ly/WIUALYAN (Meeting ID: 936 9830 4456 and Passcode: 637006).
Complete candidate interview schedules and vitas are available at wiu.edu/employment.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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