LSU announced Monday that Matt Lee will be filling its university president vacancy left by former president William Tate IV, who has officially been hired as the president of Rutgers University.

Lee is currently the vice president for agriculture and the dean of the College of Agriculture at LSU.

“Matt’s long-term commitment to LSU, paired with his research and leadership expertise, made him the obvious choice to lead the LSU enterprise through this transitional phase,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Ballard said in a statement released by LSU. “I can’t imagine a better person to steer us through this time.”

Tate’s final day at LSU will be June 30, LSU said, and Lee will take over July 1.

Lee started in his current role in August 2022 on an interim basis before being named the full-time dean in April 2023. Before that, he served as interim executive vice president and provost, vice provost for academic programs and support services and senior associate vice president for research at LSU.

Lee earned his doctorate and master’s degree in sociology at LSU.