University of California President Janet Napolitano has selected Carol T. Christ to become the next chancellor of UC Berkeley and the first woman to serve in that position.
In a statement Monday, Napolitano's office says that the UC governing board will vote on the nomination Thursday.
Christ, a Victorian literature scholar, spent more than 30 years at Berkeley in a variety of positions ranging from professor and chair of the English Department to dean. She served as the president of Smith College from 2002-2013 before returning to Berkeley, where she is currently provost and interim executive vice chancellor.
The 72-year-old Christ will replace Nicholas Dirks, who resigned last August after critics alleged he was too lenient when handling sexual harassment cases involving several faculty members.