The University of Minnesota-Morris has selected its next chancellor.
Effective July 1, Rodney S. Hanley will replace current Chancellor Jaqueline R. Johnson. School leaders made the decision Friday, pending approval by the Board of Regents.
Johnson announced her retirement in August after holding the position for ten years.
Hanley has been the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Fisk University in Tennessee since September 2014. He has also worked at Lakehead University, the University of North Dakota and University of Winnipeg.
Calling himself a “metrics-driven kind of leader,” Hanley said he plans on to dig into multiple data points about Morris before starting the position.
He said he was impressed by the attitudes of the people on campus during the small amount of time he’s spent at the school.
“I got a strong flavor of the sense of ownership at the institution,” Hanley said. “What I saw was a faculty, a student body, a staff … who were very engaged at the institution and very much care for what the future holds.”
Some of Hanley’s notable achievements include working to help create the first new law school in 44 years in Ontario and the discovery of several species of insects.
Prior to his work in education, Hanley served in the Illinois National Guard and U.S. Army.