COLLEGE PARK -- University of Maryland president William E. Kirwan yesterday announced a 14-member committee to find a successor to athletic director Andy Geiger.

Kirwan also named William L. "Bud" Thomas, the university's vice president for student affairs, as acting athletic director. Thomas will assume his duties Monday, the day Geiger is to take over at Ohio State.

"We want to conduct a thorough search, but we also want to complete the process as early in the summer as possible," Kirwan said in a statement. "The committee will be looking for a person whose philosophy is consistent with the university's intent to build a winning athletic program on the foundation of high academic standards and institutional integrity.

"The new athletic director is also expected to establish Maryland as a national leader in . . . gender equity and cost containment."

The search committee will be chaired by Kirwan's executive assistant, Marie Davidson, and will include representatives of the athletic department, alumni and faculty. There will be one student, women's basketball player Monica Adams.

Since associate athletic director Sue Tyler is neither on the committee nor acting athletic director, as she was between Lew Perkins' departure and Geiger's arrival for a three-month period in 1990, it is believed that she will apply for the job.

6* Tyler couldn't be reached for comment.