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LEXINGTON, Kentucky — Eli Capilouto went unrecognized the first time he strolled the University of Kentucky campus last week. That all changed Monday, when the veteran college administrator took center stage as the finalist to become the school’s next president.

The soft-spoken Alabama native answered questions from faculty, staff and students in get-acquainted sessions giving a curious campus a glimpse into his style and demeanor the day before he could be chosen as the 12th president of Kentucky’s flagship university.

Capilouto, provost at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, calmly delved into issues ranging from the role of athletics on a college campus to UK’s pursuit of top 20 status as a public research university, a goal set by the Kentucky General Assembly.

He was asked to assess his biggest mistakes as an administrator.

During a session with students, Capilouto said he was drawn to UK partly by its lofty aspirations to achieve top 20 status.

“It may not happen in our lifetime,” he confessed to several dozen students, who took time out from studying for final exams to check out the man in line to run the campus. “I think it’s important to keep those high aspirations. … It moves you toward excellence.”

He said UAB has flourished from its own big dreams to become a comprehensive institution known for its research clout.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Capilouto called the top 20 plan “an important guidepost.” He said he sees a commitment to strive for such a lofty status, but said “people struggle with how we’re going to get there.” He said the ambitious plan embodies broader efforts to help students achieve success and for faculty to do research that has “relevance to the issues of our day.”

UK trustees who singled out Capilouto as their preferred candidate on Sunday are scheduled to take a final vote on his selection at a meeting Tuesday on campus. Capilouto is the finalist to succeed Lee T. Todd Jr., who is retiring as UK’s president in June after a decade of leading the university. UK has about 28,000 students and a nearly $2.5 billion budget.

Capilouto said the search process was so thorough that he had not heard a question during the lengthy forums that had not already been brought up in his private meetings with UK trustees and search committee members.

“I think I’ve grown more excited through the day,” he said.

Capilouto, 61, said he has lived in Birmingham, Ala., for 35 years with the exception of time spent in Boston for graduate school. He said his impromptu visit to UK last week to check out the campus and chat with people sold him on the job.

He said he concluded: “This is worth uprooting yourself.”

During the student forum, Capilouto said he enjoys attending campus football and basketball games.

He said a university athletics program can build unity and allegiance to a school and help recruit students. He stressed that it’s important to maintain high academic standards and integrity in the athletics department.

UK’s athletics department, led by its renowned men’s basketball program, draws legions of fans from across the state and country.

During the session, his student questioners were sometimes met with their own queries from Capilouto, who sought to draw them out in what became conversations before he answered their questions.

Capilouto lingered long after the forum to chat with students.

Parker Whitehouse, a sophomore from Owensboro, conceded that he was somewhat skeptical about Capilouto when the forum began. By the time it was over, the finalist for the campus presidency had won him over.

“I was very impressed with what he had to say,” Whitehouse said. “I’m kind of excited to see what he can do.”

While meeting with faculty, Capilouto stressed the value of accountability throughout the vast university system.

“We don’t always get it right, and we can’t measure everything,” he said. “But every day, we’ve got to remember most of what we do is with other people’s money.” That includes taxpayer funds, grants, tuition or fees.

When asked to single out his most serious mistake as provost, and how he corrected it, he said he’s been reasonably successful but then mentioned his handling of personnel as an occasional shortcoming.

“It’s so important to pick the right people,” he said. “And sometimes I haven’t picked the right people and sometimes I haven’t mentored people as well as I should have.”

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