The LSU Board of Supervisors has voted to hire William F. Tate IV, the provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at the University of South Carolina, as the university’s next president.

Tate will be the first African American to hold the position at LSU. The board voted 15-0 in favor of Tate, WAFB reported. The announcement was made after the three finalists for the position were interviewed for the final time by the board earlier in the day. Tate is expected to begin his term as president in July. The two other finalists for the job were Dr. Jim Henderson and Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier. LSU’s interim president, Tom Galligan, recently changed his mind about seeking the job full-time.

Tate received his doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Maryland, Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Texas at Dallas, Master of Psychiatric Epidemiology from Washington University School of Medicine, and Bachelor of Science in economics from Northern Illinois University, LSU said in the announcement.

Tate served at South Carolina since July. Previously, he was the dean of the Graduate School & Vice Provost for Graduate Education at Washington University in St. Louis from 2002 to 2020. Tate also spent time at TCU and University of Wisconsin-Madison.