Steven Leath officially took office Monday as the 15th president of Iowa State, replacing outgoing President Gregory Geoffroy.

“I am extremely excited about this opportunity and eager to begin work,” he said in an email to the student body. “I knew this was an outstanding university when I sought this position, and everything I have learned in the intervening several months — especially meeting many of you on campus and many of Iowa State’s friends off campus — has greatly reinforced this view.”

Leath is the former vice president of research of the North Carolina system and was previously based in Chapel Hill. After a series of open forums and meetings with the Iowa Board of Regents, Leath was selected over the other finalist, Kumble Subbaswamy, to succeed Geoffroy as president.

Leath said he looks forward to getting to know the university better and presiding over his first commencement ceremony this spring.