The board that governs the state-supported universities has chosen  Steven Leath as the next president of Iowa State University. Leath is currently a vice president at the University of North Carolina.

The Board of Regents today conducted final interviews with Leath and Kumble Subbaswamy, the provost at the University of Kentucky, who was the other finalist for the job. Current I.S.U. president Gregory Geoffrey plans to retire June 30, 2012.

Both Leath and Subbaswamy spoke at public forums on the Ames campus last week.

Leath will be paid an annual salary of $440,000 along with deferred compensation of $75,000 each year, and the Regents have offered him a three-year contract. He will be the 15th president of Iowa State University.