The University of Iowa removed another interim title this week.

Kevin Kregel, the UI’s interim provost and executive vice president, was named a permanent provost and executive vice president on Thursday. Kregel, has served in the interim since July 2020, when former provost Montse Fuentes stepped down from the position for a role as special assistant to the president. Kregel will start Feb. 15 with an annual salary of $439,000.

It’s the second role the UI has upgraded to permanent since the start of the semester two weeks ago. The UI named Liz Tovar as the executive officer of diversity, equity, and inclusion after serving in the interim role since August.

Kregel graduated from the UI with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a doctorate in physiology and biophysics. In 1993, he joined the UI faculty and has since served as department executive officer in the Department of Health and Human Physiology before being appointed associate provost in September 2014 and to the executive vice provost and senior associate provost for faculty role in July 2019. He’s also participated in steering committees for two cluster-hire initiatives and in the role of acting associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of University College in 2018.

“While serving as interim executive vice president and provost, Kevin has demonstrated strong leadership and collaboration that has helped carry the university through the challenging pandemic,” said UI President Bruce Harreld, according to a UI media release. “His long career at Iowa has provided him with unmatched knowledge and insight that position the university for continued excellence.”

UI spokesperson Anne Bassett pointed the DI to Harreld’s quote in the news release in an email asking for details on why the UI decided to appoint two current interims without searches in the last few weeks. The UI has used searches in the past to fill open administrative positions, including one in fall 2020 that led to the appointment of Amy Kristof-Brown as Tippie College of Business dean after serving as the interim since March.

The previous provost, Fuentes, was reassigned to a new position created within the president’s office in July, maintaining her $439,000 provost’s salary. Per the university’s contract, she would hold that position until June 30, 2021.

Fuentes will take the helm of St. Edward’s University, a private Catholic liberal arts university in Austin, Texas on July 1, 2021 as its president.

“I am honored to serve as provost at Iowa, which has been such a meaningful part of my life since I was an undergraduate student,” Kregel said, according to a UI press release. “I look forward to building upon the relationships I have established during my time as interim and continuing to deliver an excellent educational experience to our students and improving the workplace experience for our faculty.”