University of North Carolina Wilmington on Friday announced that Marilyn Sheerer will serve as the school's interim provost.
 
The news comes as Denise Battles, current UNCW provost, prepares to step down from her position at the end of the spring semester. Battles announced earlier this month that she moves to take a job in New York in the coming months.
 
Prior to her hire, Sheerer served as provost of East Carolina University from 2007 until August, according to a news release. In addition, she served as dean of the ECU College of Education for eight years. During her tenure at ECU, Sheerer headed the creation of the ECU Honors College and led the university through Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaccreditation.
 
She worked as a department chair for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and Northern Illinois University before her career at ECU. Sheerer began her livelihood as a high school English teacher.
 
“I'm very excited about serving as the Interim Provost at UNCW,” said Sheerer in the release. “My experience as the Provost at ECU should be helpful to me as I assume this leadership position. I have admired the work of faculty and staff at UNCW for many years and look forward to collaborative work with all campus constituents.”
 
Battles will become president of the State University of New York at Geneseo. Her appointment by the SUNY Geneseo trustees is effective on or about July 1, according an announcement Jan. 13.
 
Sheerer will meet with the campus leaders to assess the current state of UNCW, officials said. She will provide Interim Chancellor Bill Sederburg with an action plan for next year’s academic affairs and meeting with the Planning, Budgeting, and Accounting task force to advise on aligning institutional budgeting practices with academic budgeting.
 
After Sheerer left her position at ECU last year, officials applauded her work at the university.
 
“She is largely responsible for initiating huge game changers at ECU, including the Honors College and the expansion of the Department of Engineering,” said ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard in a press release. “Most importantly, she is an exemplary team player and colleague to all of our academic leadership.”
 
Sheerer holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Bloomsburg State College in Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in higher education administration from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in education-curriculum and supervision from Ohio State University.