Provost Named Interim President At Kennesaw State

Kennesaw State University’s provost will lead the school until regents select a new president.

Chancellor Steve Wrigley announced Thursday that Kathy “Kat” Schwaig will become interim president at the 41,000-student university in Cobb County on July 1.

President Pamela Whitten is leaving to become president of Indiana University.

Kennesaw State is one of six University System of Georgia schools with a current or impending presidential vacancy, including Clayton State University, Georgia State University, Georgia College & State University, Georgia Highlands College and Savannah State University.

It’s unclear if any vacancies will be filled before regents name a new chancellor to replace Wrigley, who is retiring July 1. That search is paused amid questions about whether regents have been under improper political pressure to name former Gov. Sonny Perdue as chancellor.

Schwaig oversees Kennesaw State’s academics as provost. She was business dean from 2012 to 2019, joining the faculty in 2002.

In a statement, Schwaig said she would continue Whitten’s focus on increased enrollment, student success and higher research funding.

A Texas native, Schwaig earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in business administration from Baylor University, a master’s of liberal arts from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in information systems from the University of South Carolina.