Calvin Johnson Named UAPB Interim Chancellor

University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt on Tuesday named Calvin Johnson as interim chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

The appointment is effective Tuesday, May 29, 2012.

Johnson will step in while the university conducts a national search  to find a permanent replacement for Lawrence Davis Jr., who will retire May 25. The goal is to have a permanent chancellor in place by July 1, 2013.

Johnson has said he will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

Johnson is former dean of the UAPB’s education college and former chair of the UALR’s teacher education department. His also served in the state House of Representatives from 1998 to 2004. He is a member of the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board, a position he will resign before becoming interim chancellor.

"After consulting with campus and community leaders, I’m pleased that Dr. Calvin Johnson has agreed to serve as interim chancellor of UAPB," Bobbitt said in a news release. "Calvin has vast experience in higher education and is a strong leader in the Pine Bluff community. I believe he has the right combination of experience and knowledge of the university to serve in this capacity, and I look forward to working with him."