USC Provost William Tate is one of three finalists for president of LSU

University of South Carolina’s top academic official is a finalist for the presidency of another major university.

Louisiana State University lists USC Provost William Tate as one of three finalists to be its next president, LSU announced Tuesday.

Tate’s competition is Kelvin Droegemeier and Jim Henderson, according to the AP. Drogemeier is the former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under former President Donald Trump. Henderson is the system president and chief executive officer of the University of Louisiana System, according to LSU’s website.

USC hired Tate roughly 1 year ago, making him the first African American to become provost at USC, The State previously reported.

This is not the first time Tate has been a top contender for the president of a major university. In 2019, Tate was one of four finalists for USC president, but current President Robert Caslen ended up being chosen for that role. While Tate was a finalist for the USC presidency he was also a finalist for the chancellor of the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, according to knoxnews.com.

Tate’s predecessor, Joan Gabel, was selected to be the president of the University of Minnesota in late 2018, the State previously reported.

This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 2:14 PM.