ATHENS - Jere Morehead, a University of Georgia vice president, will become the university's provost in January, President Michael Adams announced Friday.

The current provost, Arnett Mace, is retiring.

Morehead is the Meigs Professor of Legal Studies and has been on the faculty at UGA since 1986. The provost is the second-highest position in the school's administration.

"I appreciate the opportunity," Morehead said in a statement. "In everything I do in this position, I will attempt to maximize our academic resources to benefit this university, the state of Georgia, and those we serve around the world.

"We will continue to pursue a vision for academic excellence centered on recruiting and retaining great faculty and bringing the best and brightest graduate, professional and undergraduate students to the University of Georgia. Doing so is key to achieving the highest levels of excellence in instruction, research and public service," Morehead said.

As senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, Morehead will oversee instruction, research, public service and outreach, and student affairs. The vice presidents of these four areas will report to Morehead, as well as the deans of UGA's 16 schools and colleges.

Before joining UGA, Morehead was an assistant U.S. attorney for six years.

He was among four finalists identified in a national search by a 20-member committee.

"After reviewing all of their resumes and considering carefully these matters for 10 days or so, I became convinced that the person most capable of leading the academic mission of the University of Georgia for the next several years was already here in our vice president for Instruction, Jere Morehead," Adams said in a statement.