Denise Watt

A South Dakota State University official has been named one of five candidates for a position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Marysz Rames, vice president for student affairs, has been selected as a candidate for UNL vice chancellor for student affairs. The current vice chancellor, James Griesen, will retire from the position this summer.

All five candidates have scheduled visits, including public forums, at UNL this month, according to reports from the Daily Nebraskan, UNL’s campus newspaper. Rames visited the campus Jan. 9 and 10.

Rames said she has no plans of leaving South Dakota State, but applied for the position because she felt the move came at the right time for her professionally.

“I’m not actively in a job search right now,” she said. “I’m in a great place.”

Rames said UNL fills her requirement of a land-grant university, and the larger institution provides “new complexities” and the chance to work in new areas. She called UNL a “forward-thinking” university, much like SDSU.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln recorded a fall 2005 enrollment of more than 21,600, according to its Web site.

The UNL vice chancellor for student affairs oversees several areas, including admissions, Greek Affairs, university housing and career services, according to the Nebraskan.

Rames said she has received encouragement from her colleagues during the application process.

Rames joined the SDSU faculty in 1987 as assistant director of student activities. She became dean of student affairs in 2000. Currently, she supervises student affairs units such as residential life, food service, multicultural affairs and TriO Student Support Services. She manages a $12 million budget.