BOSTON

An administrator and German scholar who has made a career of working at public universities has been selected to be the next chancellor of the University of Massachusetts' flagship Amherst campus.

Robert Holub, 58, currently the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee, was selected from four finalists on Wednesday by UMass President Jack Wilson.

The decision now goes before the board of trustees for approval at a special meeting on Monday.

"I am very honored," Holub said. "It makes me feel good that so many people have the confidence that I have the ability to do the job."

Holub replaces John Lombardi, who left in August to become president of Louisiana State University after clashing with the five-campus system's administration. Thomas Cole Jr., former president of Clark Atlanta University, has been serving as interim chancellor.

"Robert Holub is dedicated to the cause of public higher education. He has studied and taught at public universities that are among the best universities in the nation, and he will now bring a commitment to excellence to our flagship campus in Amherst," Wilson said in a statement.

Holub joined UT in 2006 from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was dean of the undergraduate division for the College of Letters and Science.

"We regret that the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will be losing an academic leader of his caliber, but we all wish him the very best in his new endeavor," said Jan Simek, interim chancellor at UT-Knoxville, the system's flagship campus. "His leadership has helped to improve retention and student engagement and develop new approaches for improving diversity, student access and student success."

He oversaw all of UT-Knoxville's academic operations including eight colleges, graduate programs, enrollment services and libraries and worked with the campus's global education and cultural awareness programs.