An international search began last week for a new director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies . Initially, there were plans to have a director in place by June or July of this year.

Admittedly, the search is taking some time, interim director Ellen Kennedy said

“The timeline for the director position is what some people outside the University might consider a little bit long,” she said.

The position has been widely advertised, and there are hopes to begin the interview process by fall, Kennedy said. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 15.

“At that point, we will narrow the field to those who can bring the greatest experience and scholarship with them,” she said.

The center hopes to have someone in place by January or by next summer, providing the candidate doesn’t have an academic contract for the next year at another institution.

The academic contract must be completed before they are able to obtain the director position, Kennedy said.

The center is looking for individuals who are internationally known scholars on the Holocaust and genocides, have a background in teaching and administration and have experience in presentation of research.

The director search originated after the sudden death of Dr. Steve Feinstein in March. Kennedy said it took time and many conversations with University personnel and people outside the University to decide how best to define search criteria.

Co-director of the Human Rights Center Kristi-Rudelius Palmer said there will be high expectations for the new director.

“I think that Steven (Feinstein) has really left big shoes to fill, in that he embodied the importance of vision, the creativity, the scholarship, community organizing and outreach, all in one person,” she said. “He could bring diverse communities together.”

The center was founded in 1997 as a resource for information and teaching about the Holocaust and contemporary aspects of genocide..

Kennedy said the center focuses on education, outreach and scholarship. It is vital that the new director be “someone with great experience in those three areas,” she said.

Ultimately, the center is hoping the new director will have the vision to continue the legacy that Dr. Feinstein began, based on his or her own experiences.

“This is the opportunity to build on the past and to create a future,” said Kennedy .