It's Changing Of Guards Day, As University Of Kentucky Trustees Appoint Eli Capilouto To Replace Lee Todd As President.

Trustees name Capilouto the University of Kentucky's 12th president
By Cheryl Truman

University of Kentucky trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to name Eli Capilouto the 12th president of UK.

Capilouto, who has spent his career at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is currently its provost, will replace Lee T. Todd Jr., who will retire in June after a decade as president.

"I would suggest everybody is exceptionally pleased with the result" of the search, said James W. Stuckert, chairman of the presidential search committee and a trustee.

Capilouto, who was brought into the room with his wife and daughter after the trustees voted, said he would devote "every ounce of my energy and goodness to advance this university. ... We can celebrate together when the university's dreams come true."

Capilouto, 61, is a Montgomery, Ala., native who graduated from the University of Alabama in 1971 and has two advanced degrees from Harvard University. He joined the faculty at UAB in 1975 and has been provost since 2001.

The trustees voted 19 to 0 to offer Capilouto a contract. Trustee Jo Hern Curris was not present because of a family matter.

The trustees met for two days in Northern Kentucky last weekend to interview the finalists for president. They did not reveal who the other candidates were.

On Sunday, they voted 19 to 0 to name Capilouto as the preferred candidate. He toured the campus on Monday, meeting with students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The university also took a survey of campus groups to see what they thought of Capilouto. Brit Brockman, chairman of the board of trustees, said Tuesday that the responses were "very, very encouraging."

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/05/03/1728739/uk-trustees-vote-to-name-capilouto.html#ixzz1LLVLphlP