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HEBRON, Kentucky — Eli Capilouto, provost of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, emerged today as the finalist to become the University of Kentucky’s next president, culminating a lengthy search for the next leader of a school striving for Top 20 academic status in lean times.

The Harvard-educated Capilouto has been chief academic officer for the 17,543-student school since 2005.

He became the unanimous choice as UK’s preferred candidate for its presidency after a conclusive round of closed-door meetings where trustees interviewed the final pool of candidates at a northern Kentucky hotel.

“We just couldn’t be more happy with the outcome,” UK Board of Trustees Chairman Britt Brockman told reporters.

Capilouto, 61, is in line to succeed outgoing UK President Lee T. Todd Jr., who announced last September that he is retiring in June after a decade of leading Kentucky’s flagship university. UK has about 28,000 students and a nearly $2.5 billion budget.

Next up for Capilouto will be a whirlwind, get-acquainted tour of the Lexington campus on Monday. Capilouto will meet with faculty, staff, students and alumni. An online survey will enable people to offer immediate critiques that will be sent to trustees.

Trustees could formally hire Capilouto at a meeting Tuesday.

Brockman said Capilouto “stood head and shoulders” above other finalists. He pointed to Capilouto’s experience as a senior administrator dealing with a major medical complex and a major athletic program.

In a statement, Capilouto said he was “excited about the possibility of helping lead an institution that clearly has an ambitious spirit among its faculty, students and staff as evidenced by its push to become a top 20 public research institution.”

Capilouto, an Alabama native, has also been dean of UAB’s School of Public Health. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, a doctorate of dentistry and master’s of public health from UAB and a doctorate in health policy and management from Harvard.

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