BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ LSU has picked an administrator from the university’s Health Sciences Center in New Orleans to serve as the new vice provost for diversity.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1kjrKWO ) Dereck Rovaris Sr. will begin the new role at LSU on July 1, pending approval from the LSU Board of Supervisors.

“Having a diverse and inclusive campus community is one of the pillars of a great university, and we look forward to working with Dr. Rovaris on enhancing LSU’s diversity mission,” LSU President & Chancellor F. King Alexander said in a statement.

In his new role, Rovaris will serve as LSU’s chief diversity officer and a member of the Chancellor’s Executive Staff. He’ll work with other vice provosts and act as a key adviser to on equity, diversity and inclusion issues, according to LSU. The vice provost also serves as LSU’s spokesman on diversity issues and oversees the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Women’s Center and the African American Cultural Center.

Rovaris, an education consultant, has been widely published and has served as a featured speaker on the local, national, and international level, based on a biographical sketch LSU released with its announcement of his hire. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas with majors in human development and family life, psychology and crime and delinquency studies. He has a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Xavier University of Louisiana and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Illinois.

“My vision seeks to build on the increasingly diverse environment that is LSU. It seeks to infuse shared leadership, vision, energy, and enthusiasm to advance the articulated mission of diversity, equity and inclusion at Louisiana State University,” Rovaris said in a statement.

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