Michael Drake speaks during a Wednesday press conference after being named the new president at Ohio State University. AP photo

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State University trustees picked a California educator as the school’s next president Thursday, ending a search that began with the former president’s retirement following remarks critical of Roman Catholics and Southeastern Conference schools.

Trustees voted unanimously in favor of UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake to become the 15th president of Ohio State.

“Dr. Drake was the strongest and the consensus candidate,” said Jeffrey Wadsworth, an Ohio State University trustee who led the search.

Drake is an ophthalmology professor who also is a published textbook author. In 2005 he was named the fifth chancellor of UC Irvine, where he also served as a professor.

Drake said he was humbled by the opportunity and looking forward to working at Ohio State. He said the university is “in many ways the premier position in higher education in the United States today.”

“The trajectory and power of Ohio State are known throughout the world,” Drake said.

UC President Janet Napolitano announced Thursday that Howard Gillman, UC Irvine’s provost, will serve as interim chancellor while a national search for Drake’s replacement is conducted.

“Chancellor Drake’s dedicated and passionate leadership has positioned UC Irvine for a bright future as a world-class research university,” Napolitano said in a statement. “I personally will miss his wise counsel and camaraderie.”

Before the chancellor’s job, Drake worked for five years as vice president for health affairs for the University of California system, where he oversaw academic program policy at UC’s 15 health sciences schools. Prior to that, he was on the faculty of the UC San Francisco School of Medicine for more than two decades.

Drake received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his medical degree from UC San Francisco. He and his wife, Brenda, have two adult sons and two grandchildren.

At Ohio State, Drake will lead one of the nation’s largest public universities, one with a national profile in both academics and sports. The search committee had said that it was looking for someone with a record of significant fundraising and that an understanding of an academic medical center and top NCAA athletic programs would be desirable.

The presidential search was on track to cost more than $300,000. About a third of that is expenses for a one-day forum on the state of the college presidency. More than $200,000 was being paid to a head-hunting firm.

In addition to its undergraduate academic programs, medical school and hospital, and high-profile sports teams, Ohio State also has professional schools for business, law and pharmacy, among many others.

Former president Gordon Gee, who retired after his remarks, which also criticized Notre Dame, is now interim president at West Virginia University. In a statement he called Drake “a world-class academic and an exceptionally able and seasoned higher education leader.”

Dr. Michael Drake

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