LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The dean of the USC Gould School of Law was named Tuesday the university's new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Andrew T. Guzman will take on the new position July 1, succeeding interim Provost Elizabeth Graddy, who took over the post in January to replace previous Provost Charles Zukoski.

"Andrew will be a terrific partner in supporting our outstanding faculty, staff and students," USC President Carol Folt said in a statement. "He brings a spirit of compassion, a love of innovation and a depth of experience to his new role. He and I are looking forward to working together to achieve our grandest goals."

Guzman has been with USC Gould since 2015 and previously served as a law professor and associate dean at the UC Berkeley School of Law.

An expert in international law and economics, Guzman has written articles focused on international trade, regulatory matters, foreign direct investment and public international law, according to USC. His sixth book, "Goldilocks Governance: Understanding International Soft Law," is set to be released soon by Oxford University Press.

"Carol (Folt) has articulated a clear vision for USC through her moonshots — the health enterprise, advanced computing, academic excellence and athletic excellence," Guzman said in a statement. "Academic excellence is at the center of the provost's job, and Carol's vision of putting both students and faculty at the center of our academic efforts resonates with me — as well as her emphasis on sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. This is the right portfolio for the best universities in the country to be focused on."

Law professor Franita Tolson will become interim dean of USC Gould School of Law when Guzman take over the provost job. Guzman has also been serving as interim dean of USC Libraries. Marje Schuetze-Coburn, an associate dean at USC Libraries, will take over as interim dean, according to the university.