Board of Regents president David Miles said today that University of Northern Iowa president Ben Allen has been diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer. Miles says Allen expects to undergo surgery in the near future.
Allen notified his coworkers in Cedar Falls about the diagnosis in a letter and said he is positive about the potential for a good outcome. Miles says the regents will act on a recommendation to appoint provost Gloria Gibson as acting president at its meeting on December 9th.
Miles says the appointment will allow the university to continue its operations while Allen can take the necessary time for recovery.
Allen became U.N.I’s president in June of 2005 to replace Robert Koob who retired. Allen had been the vice president for academic affairs and provost at Iowa State University before taking the U.N.I. job.