Holloway Declines Iowa Center Director Post

Carson Holloway turned down the University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom directorship after the Board of Regents offered it to him.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in People

Isometric editorial illustration of an empty leather chair beside a bare oak desk in front of a wide window onto a flat horizon. — Carson Holloway declined the University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom directorship after the Board of Regents offered it, leaving the post vacant. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Iowa Board of Regents picked Carson Holloway to lead the University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom, but he declined the position. Holloway accepted a tenured professorship at the University of Florida in Gainesville instead.

Why it matters

The Center for Intellectual Freedom now has no permanent or interim director, leaving its leadership unsettled after the Regents ended interim director Luciano de Castro's role. The search for a director remains open, which affects how the Center operates at the University of Iowa.

The Regents interviewed three finalists before selecting Holloway, whose offer was made public October 20. The Regents terminated interim director Luciano de Castro's role effective October 22, and the Center currently has no permanent or interim director.

The players

Carson Holloway

Holloway is a political scientist who previously taught at the University of Nebraska-Omaha before accepting a tenured professorship at the University of Florida.

Iowa Board of Regents

The Iowa Board of Regents governs the public universities in Iowa, including the University of Iowa, and selected Holloway for the Center director role.

The details

Holloway wrote a letter to Regent Christine Hensley thanking the Regents for the offer and had been negotiating employment terms since the October 20 public offer. He accepted a tenured professorship at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and the Regents cut ties with de Castro on the same day they made the offer.

October 20: Board of Regents made a public offer to Holloway.
October 22: Interim director Luciano de Castro's role was terminated.
November 4, 2026: Holloway's rejection of the position was reported.

Leadership Vacuum

The University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom has been without a permanent or interim director since the Regents removed Luciano de Castro and Holloway declined the post. Its leadership remains unresolved while the search for a director stays open.

Students and faculty who rely on the Center for Intellectual Freedom will be affected by the ongoing leadership gap until a permanent director is named. Iowa residents following University of Iowa governance will need to watch the Regents' next hiring decision.

The takeaway

A leadership vacancy at a university center can stall programming until a new director is chosen. Watching the Regents' next steps will show how the Center's direction takes shape.