The search to find a new University of Iowa vice president for Medical Affairs and College of Medicine dean is gaining traction this summer.

Vice President for Medical Affairs Jean Robillard, who also serves as the dean of the Carver College of Medicine, announced in September 2016 his intent to retire from the positions once the UI hires a replacement.

Kenneth Kates, the CEO of the UI Hospitals & Clinics, updated the state Board of Regents on the search during a UIHC committee meeting on June 7 in Cedar Falls.

Bruce Gantz, the head of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in the medical school, and Carroll Reasoner, the vice president for legal affairs and general counsel, co-chair the search committee tasked with selecting his replacement.

Kates said the 17-member search committee met with the search firm Isaacson, Miller Inc. most recently on May 10 to review search strategy and review preliminary candidates.

“I can tell you it’s quite an impressive candidate pool,” he said. “Since that meeting, the Isaacson, Miller team has continued to refine the candidate pool, which is a work in process.”

The next meeting is scheduled for June 15, Kates said. The search committee will review and select candidates for off-campus interviews, which will occur in July.

“I’m quite confident that the search committee will recommend strong final candidates to [UI] President [Bruce] Harreld,” he said.