In a unanimous vote at a special meeting Friday at the University of Northern Iowa, the Board of Regents named Benjamin Allen, ISU provost and vice president for academic affairs, as Northern Iowa’s next president.

Allen, 59, was one of three finalists to succeed retiring UNI President Robert Koob.

Although it may have taken some convincing on Allen’s part to apply for the position, no convincing was need among the Regents, who took less than two minutes to overwhelmingly approve Allen’s appointment and establish new direction and leadership for Northern Iowa.

“It was a unanimous vote – the Regents expressed their 100 percent support and approval of Ben Allen as the new UNI president,” said Davenport Regent Amir Arbisser following the meeting. “Dr. Allen clearly is ready for this position. He’s done a fantastic job as an educator and provost at Iowa State. He’s an excellent communicator and is very familiar with the Regents system.”

But it was not just among the Regents with whom he was favored.

Based on unofficial exit polling conducted by the board office following each of the candidate’s public forums during their visits at Northern Iowa, Allen demonstrated he has much local appeal, drawing strong favorable sentiment from UNI students, faculty and staff.

“He was the favored candidate all-around,” Arbisser said.

Allen has been coined by those on the board and ISU administrators as the “go-to guy” at Iowa State. As provost, he has been responsible to the university president for all aspects of ISU academic programs, working frequently with faculty to address issue on campus in regard to curriculum, faculty hires, university outreach, research and academic delivery. Recently, he led efforts to gain university re-accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, and was the principal driving force behind the university’s newly adopted 2005-10 strategic plan.

“Ben has been an outstanding provost here at Iowa State. He’s clearly ready for this presidency. He’s a tremendous leader and an excellent communicator. His skills, experience and dedication to higher education and to the state of Iowa will make him an exceptional leader of UNI. He is going to be missed,” said ISU President Gregory Geoffroy. “But I’m pleased he’s still in Iowa and will be a colleague in the Regents enterprise.”

Geoffroy said he will name an interim provost in the next coming weeks while he appoints a search committee to conduct a national search for a replacement, who would carry the new title of executive vice president and provost if the Regents approve the title change at their regular board meeting Thursday at Northern Iowa.

Allen, who will assume his new duties June 5, will become Northern Iowa’s ninth president.

“The University of Northern Iowa has a strong focus on student-centered teaching and learning and a personalized philosophy of teaching,” Allen said.