Ball State University has announced its next provost will come from Oregon State University, after originally hailing from El Salvador.  IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.

Susana Rivera-Mills will be the Muncie university’s chief academic officer beginning July 1.

She’s a native of El Salvador who says she only learned to speak English after coming to the United States as a young girl.

Rivera-Mills holds degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of New Mexico.  She’s currently vice provost for academic programs and learning innovation at Oregon State University.

In a statement, Ball State president Geoffrey Mearns says he was inspired by Rivera-Mills’ experience as an immigrant and a first-generation college student.  He also praised her passion for community engagement.

This will be Ball State’s first non-interim or non-acting provost since 2016.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Rivera-Mills’ current title at Oregon State University.  We regret the error.