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Video courtesy TV2 Reporter Nathan Edwards. Contact Nathan at [email protected].

Updated at 12:15 p.m.

Todd Diacon is the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at Kent State, President Lester Lefton announced at a Monday morning press conference.

Diacon comes to Kent State from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he was the deputy chancellor. Prior to that he was the executive director for academic assessment and program support at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

Lefton described Diacon as “an experienced and dedicated administrator … someone who excels in communication [and] who [is] appreciative of a wide variety of points of view.”

“I’m convinced — totally sure — that he’s going to make a great addition to our university,” Lefton said.

Diacon also spoke at the conference. He said he was afraid as he was researching Kent State he would read something about the university he didn’t like, but that never happened.

“Every department, every college, every program that I examined, and every press release or informational item I could find about the university piqued my curiosity that much more … and made my decision a very easy one,” Diacon said.

Diacon will replace departing Provost Robert Frank, who is leaving Kent State to accept the presidency at the University of New Mexico.

Original

Todd Diacon was announced as the new provost at Kent State University Feb. 13.

Diacon was previously the deputy chancellor at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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