President Roderick J. McDavis announced the appointment to the Ohio University community in an e-mail message Thursday.

Benoit, currently vice provost for advanced studies and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri, will start July 1. She replaces outgoing Executive Vice President and Provost Kathy Krendl, who accepted the presidency of Otterbein College.

Benoit was selected after extensive work on the part of a 14-member search committee, headed by Distinguished Professor Tad Malinski, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Benoit's many accomplishments at Missouri include: increased graduate applications through development of centralized and Web-based recruiting strategies; collaborative relationships with deans, Graduate Faculty Senate and graduate student groups as well as with key partners, including the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; and program development in priority areas, including the creation of a master's degree in public health and a doctorate in public affairs.

Members of the Ohio University community highlighted Benoit's strong communication skills, ability to connect with students, and keen grasp of issues critical to Ohio University's future, which set her above other candidates for the position. As a result, she was the only finalist invited back to campus for a second visit.

Benoit will be joined at Ohio University by her husband, William Benoit, currently a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Missouri. He has accepted a position as a professor in the School of Communication Studies in the Scripps College of Communication.