President Elliot Hirshman has chosen Chukuka S. Enwemeka to serve as San Diego State’s new Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The provost, or chief academic officer for the university, provides the “leadership required to achieve the highest standards in teaching, scholarship, creative activities and service,” according to SDSU’s Office of the Provost website. Enwemeka will assume the position on July 1, according to a news release.

 The provost also plays a role in the majority of large-scale university and educational policy, defining and implementing academic goals, planning and developing curriculum, program review, garnering and allotting funding and resources, and faculty and academic staff actions.

Enwemeka will join SDSU from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he has served as distinguished professor and dean of the College of Health Sciences.

He has more than 20 years of experience, with 11 years as a tenured professor and dean at UWM and the New York Institute of Technology, and 10 years as a tenured professor and chairperson for the University of Kansas Medical Center.

“A strong proponent of shared governance, he has led and participated in student success, research, community engagement, diversity, and internationalization initiatives,” Hirshman wrote in an email to faculty and staff.

Enwemeka will replace Provost Nancy A. Marlin who has served as SDSU’s Provost since 1998.