University of North Carolina Wilmington has hired its first chief diversity officer, school officials announced Thursday.

Kent Guion, currently vice president for diversity and inclusion at Georgia Regents University (GRU) in Augusta, will begin his new job at UNCW on Apr. 13, according to a news release.

Guion has 25 years of experience in higher education as a research assistant, faculty member, dean and administrator. He has held leadership positions in allied health sciences as well as multicultural, campus and community affairs, the release stated, adding, Guion "has led GRU to receive multiple national accolades for diversity and inclusion activities, including 2013 and 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity awards and the 2014 NCAA award for Diversity and Inclusion."

UNCW's interim chancellor said he believes that the new chief will bring a broad range of pertinent skills and interests to the position.

"Throughout his career, Kent Guion has focused on building collaborative relationships among people, campuses and communities,” interim chancellor Bill Sederburg said in the release. “His interests range from assisting individuals living with disabilities to community wellness and the ongoing academic success of students from underserved populations. Dr. Guion will bring new insight and perspectives to UNCW, and I am delighted that he has accepted the opportunity to become our chief diversity officer.”

A graduate of N.C. State University with a bachelor's degree in zoology,, Guion subsequently earned a master's degree in physical education and medical degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also completed a fellowship in clinical epidemiology and primary care internal medicine at Duke University.

Diversity initiatives and issues have been the responsibility of an associate provost for institutional diversity and inclusion, a position currently filled by Edelmira Segovia on an interim basis. Based on recommendations from a diversity and inclusion task force, however, UNCW decided to make changes, according to an email Thursday from university officials.

"The chief diversity officer position is a recasting of the current associate provost for institutional diversity and inclusion. This position will now report directly to the chancellor and the associate provost position will no longer exist," the email stated.

"This is a senior administrative positon that will report directly to the chancellor and is a member of the cabinet and will advise the chancellor and the senior leadership team on all matters pertaining to diversity and inclusion," the email continued. "Dr. Guion will share responsibility for implementing and managing diversity related aspects of the university’s strategic plan and leading the university in development of a campus diversity and inclusion strategy, including a program of assessment of the goals and outcomes of the plan."

Among the new chief's responsibilities will be to increase the diversity of UNCW's faculty and staff as well as its student body, and to ensure that the university retains a broadly representative campus workforce and student population, and engages with the greater community in ways that promote diversity and inclusion, the email stated.

Segovia continues as the university's diversity and inclusion point person until Guion's arrival, at which time she will resume her former full-time post of overseeing Centro Hispano, the email stated.