The University of Iowa's Board of Regents must restart its search for a director of the Center for Intellectual Freedom. Carson Holloway, chair of the political science department and interim chair of the philosophy department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, turned down the position two weeks after the board announced his selection. Holloway pursued another offer instead.
The board selected Holloway last month after a contentious search. He has worked at multiple conservative think tanks.
A spokesperson for the Board of Regents told the Gazette that the search remains open. The center's Executive Committee and Advisory Council plan to meet Friday in closed session to discuss other candidates.
The Center for Intellectual Freedom was created by the State Legislature in 2025. A three-member committee of regents currently leads it after the board removed former interim director Luciano de Castro last month. De Castro accused the board of violating state law or its intent by interfering with the center's operations and undermining its independence. Regents rejected those claims. Multiple faculty advisers resigned in the fall amid the dispute between regents and de Castro.