In a Wednesday announcement, the University of Cincinnati (UC) trustees named Gregory Williams, a New York college administrator, as the 27th president of the Ohio school. Williams, who succeeds Nancy Zimpher, would incidentally be the university's first black president, and would assume office with effect from November 1.

According to HC "Buck" Niehoff, Chairman of the UC board of trustees, the key criterion behind the selection of Williams - an ex-dean of Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law during 1993-2001 - clearly was his track record as the City College president since 2001.

During his stint at the college, Williams not only brought about a notable 50 percent increase in enrollments, but also raised a whopping $300 million in the first capital campaign in that institute's history.

The 65-year-old Williams, a native of Muncie, Ind. - renowned for his reminisces about growing up as a child of a bi-racial marriage, in his autobiography "Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black" - accepted the new post "with great humility and great pride."

Talking about the role of educationists, Williams said: "We are transforming lives every day and making a difference in the lives of people and their futures and their families."