A top Georgia Southern University administrator has been named the interim president of Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus.

University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby named Dr. Charles Patterson as Georgia Southwestern's interim president Friday.

Patterson currently serves as Georgia Southern's vice president for research and economic development and dean of the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies. He also serves as chairman of the Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation. He will assume responsibilities on Jan. 1 from the current Georgia Southwestern president, Dr. Kendall Blanchard, who will retire Dec. 31.

"Charles has an established career as a higher education administrator," Huckaby said in a University System of Georgia news release. "His leadership responsibilities have continued to expand at Georgia Southern, and I am confident he will serve the Georgia Southwestern State University campus community well. We appreciate Charles serving as interim president and expect this experience will further develop him as a leader within the University System."

Patterson has been in his current role as vice president of research and economic development since 2011. He was appointed dean of graduate studies in 2009 and chairman of the research foundation in 2011. Prior to these appointments, he served as associate vice president for research from 2008-2010 and executive director of the foundation from 2008-2011.

Georgia Southern President Dr. Brooks Keel congratulated Patterson on the move.

"I am delighted that Chancellor Huckaby recognizes Dr. Charles Patterson for his outstanding work serving Georgia Southern," Keel said in a university news release. "Charles has my full support and that of the president's cabinet as he serves in this temporary appointment. Preparations are underway for current staff to step into interim leadership roles to ensure that ongoing strategic initiatives and campus services critical to our research and graduate education missions are continued at Georgia Southern."

Prior to joining Georgia Southern, Patterson served in many capacities at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. His roles included instructor in the Honors College, assistant director of the office of sponsored programs and research project manager in the office of the vice provost for research.

Patterson received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Mississippi State University in Starkville and a doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Involved in state and community affairs, Patterson's engagment includes: founding member and president-elect of the Georgia Council of Graduate Schools, vice chairman of the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce, founding investor in World Trade Center Savannah, and executive committee member of the Downtown Statesboro Revitalization Committee.