The University of North Carolina Wilmington announced Dr. Marilyn Sheerer will serve as the Interim Provost of the university on Friday.

Prior to her hire, Sheerer served as Provost of East Carolina University from 2007 until August 2014. In addition, she served as dean of the ECU College of Education for eight years. During her tenure at ECU, Sheerer headed the creation of the ECU Honors College and led the university through SACS reaccreditation. She worked as a department chair for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and Northern Illinois University before her career at ECU. Sheerer began her livelihood as a high school English teacher.

“I’m very excited about serving as the Interim Provost at UNCW,” said Sheerer in a press release from UNCW. “My experience as the Provost at ECU should be helpful to me as I assume this leadership position.  I have admired the work of faculty and staff at UNCW for many years and look forward to collaborative work with all campus constituents.”

The decision comes as Denise Battles, the current UNCW Provost, serves her last semester and steps down to become President of the State University of New York Geneseo.  Her appointment by the SUNY Geneseo trustees is effective on or about July 1, according to a news release.

“Although this is a tremendous loss for UNCW, I am supportive of Denise’s decision,” UNCW interim chancellor Bill Sederburg said in a press release from UNCW. “I know this is an excellent opportunity for her at a premier liberal arts college, and in her hometown region of Upstate New York, no less.”

Sheerer will meet with the campus leaders to assess the current state of UNCW. She will be providing Chancellor Sederburg with an action plan for next year’s academic affairs and meeting with the Planning, Budgeting, and Accounting task force to advise on aligning institutional budgeting practices with academic budgeting.

“She is largely responsible for initiating huge game changers at ECU, including the Honors College and the expansion of the Department of Engineering,” said ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard in a press release. “Most importantly, she is an exemplary team player and colleague to all of our academic leadership.”

Sheerer holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Bloomsburg State College in Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in higher education administration from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in education-curriculum and supervision from Ohio State University.