Jacksonville lawyer Ava Parker will take the helm at Florida Polytechnic University, the school announced late Monday.
Parker, who resigned her seat on the Board of Governors to take the job, will officially take over as chief operating officer Dec. 1 and serve for two years.
"As we started to think about the interim leader of the Polytechnic, it became clear that we needed someone not only with a background in higher education, but with real-world savvy to help us communicate our vision to the many, varied stakeholders interested in seeing this university succeed," said Rob Gidel, who chairs the university's board of trustees.
Parker will be responsible for some employment decisions and moving Polytechnic toward accreditation, the school said.