The Louisiana Board of Regents named Joseph Rallo as Commissioner of Higher Education Thursday. 
Rallo was  the special advisor for global engagement at Texas Tech University. He is expected to take up the role of the state’s seventh commissioner in January 2015.  
He will serve as the lead coordinator for the LSU, University of Louisiana, Southern University and Louisiana Community and Technical College systems, whose 38 institutions have a total enrollment of 216,613 students, according to the Board of Regent’s website.  
Rallo was chosen out of three finalists selected on Sept. 25, including Robin Capehart, president of West Liberty University, and Ray DiPasquale, president of the Community College of Rhode Island.  
Jim Purcell, the previous commissioner, resigned from the position in March after serving for three years.