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AMES — The hundreds of faculty, staff, students and community members who offered feedback on the two finalists for Iowa State University president gave higher marks to and more positive comments for the candidate not chosen — Cornell University Co llege of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Benjamin Houlton.

“Ohhhh, please please please select Ben Houlton for the next president,” one person wrote in the anonymous comments portion of the online feedback forms provided to the Board of Regents about the finalists, all of which were obtained by The Gazette through a public-records request. “He's the inspiration and energy we are craving!”

Echoing the sentiment of many who gave their opinion o

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