Koffi C. Akakpo, president of Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington, has been named to lead Kentucky State University in Frankfort.

Akakpo will become KSU’s 19th president on July 1, according to a news release.

Tammi Dukes, the chair of KSU’s Board of Regents, said Akakpo was chosen after a national search. “Today is undoubtedly an exciting time in Kentucky State’s history, and we are confident that the foundation laid by this extensive presidential search process—involving input and deliberation from a wide range of constituents and stakeholders, including both internal and external campus community members—allowed us to choose the best leader for Kentucky State and its future.”

Akakpo, who has been BCTC president for four years, holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Toledo; a Master of Business Administration from Ashland University in Ohio, and a Master of Science from Universite du Benin, Lome, Togo.

“My work focuses on championing postsecondary institutions, tackling the uncertainty they face, and securing their current and future prosperity, particularly through bold thinking, transformational problem-solving, and strategic partnership building,” ?Akakpo said.?

KSU is a historically Black land-grant university authorized by the legislature in 1886.