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The University of Maryland, College Park, has selected Wallace D. Loh — the current executive vice president and provost at the University of Iowa — as its new school president, according to a statement released Tuesday by UM officials.

Loh, 65, will take over on Nov. 1, replacing current president C.D. "Dan" Mote Jr., who announced in February that he plans to retire Aug. 31. Loh was selected by the University System of Maryland's 17-member Board of Regents after a board-appointed committee considered about 300 candidates.

"I'm thrilled, I'm honored and I'm humbled," Loh said Tuesday morning. "It's one of the great public research universities in the country and its rise has been spectacular under Dr. Mote. ... What attracts me is to continue that rise."

Loh has been at the University of Iowa since 2008, where he oversaw budgets, personnel and planning for the university. He was previously dean and professor of public service and psychology at Seattle University from 1999 to 2008.

Born in Shanghai, China, Loh graduated from high school in Peru and moved to Iowa in 1961 to study psychology at Grinnell College. He earned a bachelor's from the school and also holds a master's from Cornell University, a doctorate from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Yale Law School.

In his professional career, Loh has also served as director of policy and chief policy adviser to the state of Washington's Office of the Governor from 1997 to 1999, and had previous stints as a dean at the University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Washington School of Law.

Loh said he has yet to visit College Park, but corresponded with USM officials for about two months before officially accepting their offer last weekend. He said his main priorities at UM include continuing the school's academic success, making tuition more affordable for students and reaching out to city and Prince George's County leaders.

"Working very closely with community leaders is a very high priority of mine," Loh said. "The reality is that all great universities are ultimately local as well. You cannot have a vibrant university without having a vibrant town in which it's located."

Current provost Nariman Farvardin will serve as the UM's interim president from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, between Mote's departure and Loh's arrival. Loh will attend a welcoming reception at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the university's Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center.

dhill@gazette.net