Clemson University’s Board of Trustees recently announced that it has unanimously selected Benjamin C. Ayers as the university’s next president. Ayers, who serves as senior vice president of academic affairs and provost at the University of Georgia (UGA), will become Clemson’s 16th president, according to the university.

Ayers is scheduled to begin the role on August 1, according to Clemson News. He will succeed interim president Robert H. Jones, who has led Clemson following the departure of former president James P. Clements.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected to serve as the next president of Clemson University,” Ayers told Clemson News. “I am grateful to the Board of Trustees and the search committee for its confidence and humbled by the opportunity to join the Clemson Family. Clemson’s tradition of excellence, its commitment to students, and its impact through teaching, research, and service make it one of the nation’s most respected public universities. I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters to build upon the strong foundation and shape an even brighter future together.” 

Ayers brings a wealth of experience from his distinguished career to the position serving in multiple roles including assistant professor, department chair, dean, and provost. Under his leadership, UGA experienced significant growth having launched new Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and was recognized as the top U.S. university for bringing new products to market through its research and innovation enterprise, according to the university.

Ayers earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Alabama before completing a doctorate in accounting at the University of Texas at Austin. Before entering academia, Ayers worked in the private sector with KPMG and Complete Health Inc. 

Clemson is a public land-grant research university in South Carolina with more than 29,000 students, according to public university data.