University of South Carolina officials chose an in-house candidate as the university's new president over former UF Provost Janie Fouke on Friday.
Fouke lost her bid for USC's top position to Dr. Harris Pastides, USC's vice president for research and health sciences and executive director of the South Carolina Research Foundation since 2003.
Pastides, 54, was unanimously approved by USC's Board of Trustees and will become the university's 28th president on Aug. 1, according to a USC news release. Andrew Sorenson, the university's former president, is retiring.
The search for the university's president was narrowed to three candidates Wednesday. The other candidate was Geri Hockfield Malandra, an official with the University of Texas System.
Neither Fouke nor a USC spokesperson returned phone calls or e-mails seeking comment.
Since resigning as provost on July 1, Fouke has served as senior adviser to UF President Bernie Machen.
In April, Fouke was also selected as one of six candidates for the chancellor position at Louisiana State University.
The position was given in June to Michael V. Martin, a former president of New Mexico State University who served as UF vice president for agriculture and natural resources in UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences from 1998 to 2004.
