(KLZA)-- Following a national search, the Board of Trustees for the Nebraska State Colleges has announced the appointment of Dr. Robert C. Mock, Jr. as the 35th President of Peru State College.

The announcement was made Thursday.

Mock comes to Southeast Nebraska from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where he has served in multiple leadership roles since 2018, including as vice president for strategic initiatives, chief of staff, vice president for enrollment management and student experience and interim athletic director.

He previously served as president of Johnson and Wales University Charlotte Campus, vice president for student affairs at the University of Kentucky, and associate vice provost for student affairs at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

Mock holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a master's in interpersonal and organizational community, and a Doctor of Education in higher education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

He succeeds Michael Evans, who retired as Peru State's president in November 2024.

Mock will start in the position on Jan. 1.