The new provost for Kennesaw State University will begin in July, President Daniel Papp said Friday.

Timothy Chandler, the senior associate provost for academic affairs at Kent State University, will serve as Kennesaw's vice president for academic affairs.

While at Kent State Chandler developed programs to improve retention and graduation rates and was responsible for a complete revision of the  liberal education requirements.

Chandler will fill the vacancy created last year when former provost, Lendley Black, stepped down to become chancellor of the University of Minnesota-Duluth.