"He can continue with his research if he takes this position and it won't interfere at all," said Fried.

The settlement between the UH Board of Regents and Dobelle, after his highly public "for cause" firing in June, cleared both sides of any wrongdoing and, in return for Dobelle's resignation, gave him an outright $1.8 million settlement (that includes two years as a nontenured researcher) plus an insurance policy worth $1.6 million (at his death). Attorney's fees for both sides reached almost $1 million.

Language in the settlement does not address the question of what happens if Dobelle accepts another position within the period of his $125,000-a-year appointment in the department of urban and regional planning, and a representative from the law office of William McCorriston, who represented the Board of Regents in the settlement, could not offer an answer.

The Hartford Courant quoted search committee chairwoman Carole A. Cowan as saying the committee is aware of Dobelle's firing but dismissed any concerns, saying that similar clashes had occurred elsewhere in higher education and the committee was impressed with Dobelle's credentials, including his "unique background, a blend of experience of public and private colleges ... more than 30 years' experience in government and higher education."

"He is the clear choice ... from a very strong field of candidates," Cowan said in the Courant article. She could not be reached for further comment.

But Fried said the news is "a little premature" since the Boston board will not make its final decision until its November meeting. If selected, Dobelle could begin in December, the Courant article said.

The New England Board of Higher Education is a consortium that serves public and independent colleges, universities and graduate schools in six eastern states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. The board advances higher education opportunities for New England residents and promotes regional cooperation and efficient use of educational resources, according to its Web site.