University of Connecticut President Philip E. Austin has been elected to succeed University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway as chair of the Division I Board of Directors, effective in April.

Austin, whose term on the Board extends through April 2007, will assume duties as chair after the completion of the Board's April 2005 meeting.

Austin became Connecticut's 13th president in October 1996. Before his appointment there, Austin served for seven years as chancellor of the University of Alabama System. Austin previously served as president of Colorado State University and was chancellor of the Colorado State University System.

Austin earlier served as provost and vice-president for academic affairs and professor of economics and finance at Bernard Baruch College. He also had been director of the interdisciplinary doctoral program in public policy at George Washington University.

From 1974 to 1977, Austin was HEW deputy assistant secretary for education in Washington, D.C. During the latter part of that assignment, he also served as acting assistant secretary for education. He served as an economist in U.S. Office of Management and Budget from 1971 to 1974.

He has served as the U.S. delegate to several international conferences on education and economic policy and was a member of a three-person team invited by the Danish government to evaluate that country's educational programs and policies.

Austin served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971 as an economist with the rank of captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal during his military duty.

He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University and is active in several national professional associations.