Interim UNC-system President Bill Roper has named Kevin Guskiewicz as interim chancellor of UNC, according to a statement from the UNC system.
"It is an honor to be asked to lead the nation's first public university into the next chapter of its storied history," Guskiewicz said in a statement.
Since 2016, Guskiewicz has been the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, a college that has over 70 academic departments, programs, institutes and centers. The college has over 17,000 undergraduates and 2,400 graduate students.
A member of UNC's faculty since 1995, Guskiewicz is a neuroscientist and nationally recognized expert on sports-related concussions, the press release says, and is currently a principal co-investigator on three active research grants, totaling over $16 million.
"I strongly believe Kevin is the best person to lead UNC-Chapel Hill," Roper said in a statement.
His appointment is effective immediately and comes almost a week after former Chancellor Carol Folt's official resignation on Jan. 31.
On Jan. 14, Folt announced plans to resign at the end of the academic year, but the UNC-system Board of Governors voted to make her resignation effective at the end of January. It was Roper's responsibility to find a replacement for the vacant position.
In an email sent to students, Guskiewicz said it is a privelege to lead the University.
"The promise of what we will accomplish together energizes and excites me," he said. "We will build on our current momentum — the Campaign for Carolina has just surpassed the $2.4 billion mark, research funding has reached new highs, and we received a record-setting 44,784 undergraduate admissions applications for the class of 2023."
