Paul D'Anieri, a University of Kansas official, has been chosen as UF's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences next dean, UF President Bernie Machen announced Tuesday.
D'Anieri currently serves as KU's CLAS associate dean of humanities. He will assume his UF position July 1.
He will replace Joe Glover, who has served as CLAS interim dean since January 2007.
D'Anieri, who's also taught as a political science professor, is the first UF CLAS dean in 20 years with a background in the social sciences.
In a news release announcing D'Anieri's appointment, Machen wrote that D'Anieri has "a fresh perspective and a lot of new ideas."
"He's a good find and a good fit, and we're looking forward to having him at UF," Machen wrote.
In a phone interview Tuesday, D'Anieri said he was attracted to UF because of its top-notch students and faculty.
"For me, it was above all the quality of the people," he said.
He said he'll make a specific outline of his goals when he arrives at UF and meets with faculty.
The dean search began in September 2007 when UF Provost Janie Fouke appointed a 10-member search committee. The committee interview 11 candidates and narrowed the field to four finalists in February.
The search's viability was called in question in March when two candidates withdrew from the search. One of the candidates cited UF's budget problems and recent administrative restructuring as his reasons.
D'Anieri said he's not worried about budget cuts or changes in administration.
