University of Alaska regents are expected to pick a new president from a field of three at a closed meeting Monday, but the results may not be released right away.

Negotiating a salary and benefit package with a chosen candidate could take a few days, and the new president won't be announced until those details are ironed out, a Board of Regents spokesperson said.

University President Mark Hamilton announced his resignation after 12 years at the UA helm. Charged with picking a replacement, the 11-member Board of Regents -- appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature -- narrowed a field of six applicants to three finalists at the end of February.

The finalists are:

-- John Pugh, chancellor of the University of Alaska Southeast since 1999; former UAS dean of faculty, education, liberal arts and sciences; and former state Health and Social Services commissioner

-- Patrick Gamble, president and CEO of the Alaska Railroad Corp. since 2001 and a retired four-star Air Force general

-- Lisa Rossbacher, president of Southern Polytechnic State University in Georgia and a geology professor

Meanwhile, blogger Steve Aufrecht has raised some questions on his blog about one candidate, Gamble, and his time in charge at the U.S. Air Force Academy.