Michael Hargis, a dean of the University of Central Arkansas College of Business, will be the university's next provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs.
A provost of a university is viewed as the chief academic officer and No. 2 official below that of a president or chancellor.
In his new job, which takes effect July 1, Hargis will preside over the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; College of Business; College of Education; College of Health and Behavioral Sciences; College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; the Schedler Honors College; and the Graduate School.
The public university in Conway is the third largest in Arkansas, with 9,790 students, according to the state Division of Higher Education official enrollment report for the fall 2023 semester.
Hargis, 47, has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hendrix College and a master's and Doctor of Philosophy in industrial-organizational psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit.
He was an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before coming to UCA in 2006 as an assistant professor in the College of Business. In 2014, Hargis became the college's dean. He had previously been interim dean of the business college, as well as interim provost and executive vice president.
UCA President Houston Davis said Hargis, in his new role, will also guide strategic planning at the university.
"I am thrilled and deeply honored to be selected to serve as the next provost and executive vice president at UCA. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with the dedicated faculty, staff, students, and executive team at UCA to advance our mission. I also want to thank the search committee and everyone who participated in the search process. The energy and excitement on the campus is palpable, and I am excited to get to work," Hargis said in a news release from UCA.
Hargis is a member of the Conway Development Corporation and the Arkansas Governor's Council of Economic Advisors. He previously was a member of the Arnold Innovation Center Planning Committee, the Conductor Steering Committee and Start-up Conway Steering Committee. Hargis is an active Peer Review Team leader and mentor with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, UCA said.
Hargis's will earn $260,000 -- $235,00 in public funds plus $25,000 from private funds.
He succeeds Patricia Poulter, 65, who retires as provost and executive vice president in June.