President Alisa White announced Tuesday, Feb. 24 that Rex Gandy would serve as APSU’s new Provost effective June 1, 2015. The provost is responsible for all things academic, and in the event that the president is unavailable, the provost is required to fill in as the acting president. Gandy was selected from a pool of four candidates, including Dwight Watson, Joseph Bessie and Paul Starkey.

Gandy earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in physics from the University of Memphis and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin. He has held positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Auburn University, the University of Idaho, the University of Southern Mississippi and Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

Gandy initially decided to apply for the provost position due to “the fine reputation of APSU for academic excellence.”

“I am excited to be joining the APSU family,” Gandy said. “During my interview, I was impressed with the quality of the faculty, staff and students.”

When asked what he would like to focus on in the future, Gandy said, “I think enrollment growth and improvement in student success will be two important areas of emphasis. I am sure that after I have been on the job for a few months that other important areas will emerge.”

Gandy will follow Jaime Taylor, who has served as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs for the past two years.