College of DuPage board names top pick for president

The College of DuPage board of trustees is expected to appoint a new school president during their meeting Thursday night.

Muddassir Siddiqi has emerged as the top candidate for the post, the Glen Ellyn-based community college announced Tuesday. If confirmed, he would become the college’s eighth president.

Siddiqi is currently the vice chancellor of instructional innovation and digital strategy for the Houston Community College system. Before that, he served as president and chief executive officer of the system’s Central College.

Siddiqi would succeed former College of DuPage President Brian Caputo, who retired last summer after five years in the role.

Siddiqi holds an Ed.D. in adult education from Northern Illinois University, an MBA from the University of Northern Alabama and a master’s degree in industrial technology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He also attended Harvard University for leadership development programs.

Siddiqi also was selected as one of the finalists for the same position at Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin, that school announced in early October.

The COD board appointed Christine Hammond to serve as interim president while the college conducted a nationwide search that began last fall.

An executive search firm, Storbeck Search Diversified Search Group, was hired by the trustees as part of the process, which also included an internal search committee composed of administrators, faculty, staffers, students, community representatives and members of the COD board and foundation board.