Meet Jeffrey Walkington: Ph.D. in English, former public school teacher, longtime private school teacher and administrator, central Illinois native, father of two, current VP of academic affairs at the Latin School of Chicago — and Uni High's next director, effective July 16. Check inside for an interview with "Doc Walk."

Dr. Jeffrey Walkington, vice president of academic affairs at the Latin School of Chicago, has agreed to serve as Uni's next director. He will begin work on July 16, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Provost Linda Katehi made the announcement this morning in an e-mail message.

The last of four director candidates to make the trip to Uni spent Thursday touring the school and meeting students, faculty, and others in the campus community. Jeffrey Walkington is vice president of academic affairs at the Latin School of Chicago and a native of the Bloomington-Normal area.

Karl Radnitzer, the third of four director candidates to visit the school, spoke with students and faculty during a lunchtime meeting Tuesday hosted by Student Council. A native of Oak Park, Ill. Radnitzer is familiar to many Uni students from his five years as principal of Leal Elementary School in Urbana.

The Michigan native is the second of four director finalists to tour the school and meet members of the Uni community. She addressed issues raised by students and faculty during a lunchtime meeting today hosted by Student Council. Reporter Katy Metcalf attended the session in Room 109 and provides this account.

Angela Farmer, a former scientist and current assistant superintendent in Metropolis, Ill., was the first of four director candidates to visit Uni High. She spent Friday meeting with faculty and staff, touring the school, and talking with Student Council and other members of the Uni community. Katy Metcalf takes us inside the lunchtime session with Student Council.

The first of four visits by candidates for the position of Uni High director will take place Friday, with the other visits slated for next week. Check inside for biographical sketches of the finalists. During their visits, the finalists will meet with the school's curriculum and executive committees, tour the school, and have lunch with Student Council members and any other interested students.

Steve Epperson's time as interim director will end later this year. The search for a new permanent director has narrowed down to four finalists, each of whom will visit Uni during the next two weeks. The first visit is slated for Friday, with the remaining visits scheduled to take place before Agora Days. Check inside for details.

The search for Uni High's next director is now in the hands of an eight-person committee, whose members include Uni teachers, University of Illinois professors, current and former Uni parents, and even a former Uni director.

On Friday, two representatives from the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Ltd. came to Uni to learn more about the school's environment and get input from faculty, staff, and students on what they want in the next director. Check inside for more coverage.

The search for the next Uni director, which had been delayed for the past year, is about to pick up momentum. On Friday, representatives from a national firm will visit the school to gather input on what the Uni community wants in a new leader. Check inside for Gordon Ruan and Chris Yoder's update on the new director search.

Uni underwent some serious changes over the summer, including a new look, a new security system, and even new soda machines. Reporters Revathi Maturi and Katy Metcalf recently interviewed Director Steve Epperson about Uni's changes, as well as things yet to come.

[AUDIO included] Building renovations, security improvements, even higher faculty salaries: These are some of the changes likely to result from Uni's postponement of its search for a new director/principal. Alex Zhai spoke to Associate Provost Keith Marshall at the April 23 PFO Spring General Meeting about these topics and came back with this update.

An audience of 90 Uni parents, students, and faculty members turned out tonight to hear Director/Principal Steve Epperson and Associate Provost Keith Marshall discuss a number of issues crucial to Uni High's future. The occasion was the Parent-Faculty Organization's annual Spring General Meeting, held this year at the Siebel Center. If you missed it, we've got the audio inside.

If you're interested in the future of Uni High, you'll want to be at this year's PFO Spring General Meeting. Director/Principal Steve Epperson and Associate Provost Keith Marshall will brief the Uni community on a number of important matters, including the results of the recent parent/faculty/student/alumni survey, an update on the Uni director/principal search, plans for renovating the school, and a summer retreat involving parents, faculty, students, and alums.