A chemical engineering professor has been tapped to be interim president of Iowa State University in Ames. Richard Seagrave will take over the reigns when ISU president Martin Jischke leaves to become the president of Purdue.

Board of Regents president Owen Newlin says the board made its decision yesterday. He says  Seagrave was recently interim provost and has had a distinguished career at ISU. Newlin says the board hopes to name a permanent replacement for Jischke within six or seven months.

Seagrave will be formally appointed interim president at the Board of Regents meeting on June 14th.