Centenary College of Louisiana has chosen its 31st president.

Dr. Christopher Holoman is currently Provost at Hilbert College in Hamburg, New York. He'll take over at the Shreveport institution in July.

"I am so excited to lead a college with the deep commitment to the liberal arts that Centenary has," Holoman said in a news release. "The liberal arts are essential to preparing students for the world in which they live because liberal arts education teaches you how to think. In this fast-paced world, our students need tools like effective communication and critical thinking in order to reinvent themselves and adapt. Centenary is providing what our students need and what our society needs, as well."

Centenary Board of Trustees Chairman George Nelson said there were several excellent final candidates for the position, but Dr. Holoman's "passionate enthusiasm for the liberal arts and his commitment to the social justice, service, and intellectual traditions that tie Centenary to the Methodist church really impressed both the search committee and the campus community."

Dr. Holoman is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina. He earned both doctorate and master's degrees in political science from the University of Chicago. He succeeds Dr. David Rowe, who is leaving to become president of Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando Florida. He's been at the helm at Centenary since August 2009.

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