Rice University names provost as new president

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Rice University's provost has been named as the next president of the university.

Reginald DesRoches was selected by the board of trustees and takes the helm on July 1, 2022.

DesRoches has been in his current role since 2020 and with the university for more than four years.

"I am deeply honored to be named the next president of Rice University," DesRoches said in a statement provided by the university. "The past 4 years at Rice have been among the most rewarding in my professional career and I look forward to building on the tradition of excellence established by President Leebron and those who served before him."

DesRoches joined Rice in 2017 as the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering at the George R. Brown School of Engineering. He was born in Haiti and grew up in Queens, New York. His love of science and math as a child led him to pursue a mechanical engineering degree.

In addition to undergraduate work, he earned a master's and a Ph.D. degree at the University of California, Berkeley. He went on to become an expert on earthquake resiliency.

RELATED: Rice University President David Leebron will step down in June 2022

DesRoches takes over for David Leebron, who announced earlier this year his plans to step down after nearly two decades with the university.

Leebron, who has served as president of the university since 2004, will finish out the rest of his four-year contract with the university until June 30, 2022.