Debra Greene, currently Lincoln University's head of history, political science and philosophy, was named Monday as LU's interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Her appointment is effective today.
LU President Kevin Rome announced the appointment in a mass email to "The Lincoln University Family."
A copy of the one-sentence message was provided to the News Tribune.
Greene succeeds Said Sewell, who came to LU in August 2014 as provost and VPAA.
He left the campus last week for what Rome announced was an extended leave of absence for personal reasons.
Greene also is an applicant for Lincoln's assistant provost for Student Success and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
According to Lincoln's website, Greene's interview for that post was scheduled for Friday.
Lincoln officials did not respond to requests for comment about how the interim appointment might affect Greene's application, or how it will affect her current job.
Greene's resume - posted on the LU website as part of her being a finalist for the assistant provost and dean's job - noted she came to LU in 1996 as an instructor and was promoted to assistant professor in 2001, associate professor in 2005 and full professor in 2010.
She earned her bachelor's degree in history in 1982, and her master's degree in American history in 1988 from Alcorn State University, Lorman, Mississippi.
Greene earned her doctorate in American history in 2003, from the University of Missouri-Columbia.