Cal State Long Beach announced Friday that Alabama native Karyn Scissum Gunn is the new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs

Scissum Gunn, who succeeded the recently retired Brian Jersky, said she is “humbled to be able to join a movement to do some extraordinary things for our students and for the Long Beach community.”

Scissum Gunn previously served as the associate vice president of academic affairs at Cal State Fullerton. Prior to that, she spent more than 20 years at Alabama State University, where she held the roles of provost, associate provost, dean, chair and professor.

The provost oversees eight academic colleges, the university library and the College of Professional and International Education, and is responsible for nearly 4,000 faculty and staff members.

Scissum Gunn received her doctorate in molecular genetics from Auburn University and earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Tuskegee University in cell biology and biology.