Benjamin F. Quillian Jr. has been named acting vice president and chief financial officer for Administrative Affairs. His appointment will begin Sept. 14.

Quillian served as the executive vice chancellor and chief financial officer of the California State University, managing a budget of about $6 billion. In that role, he led the implementation of the CSU Common Financial System and also worked to consolidate the 23 campuses onto a common human resources system.

He also has served as the senior vice president for business and operations and chief financial officer for the American Council on Education. Quillian has held similar senior leadership positions at Fresno State and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

"I look forward to working with Ben Quillian as he brings a wealth of expertise to the campus," says University President Soraya M. Coley. "When faculty return to campus in the fall, I plan to work with the Academic Senate Executive Committee on a national search for the vice president for administrative affairs."

Quillian completed his undergraduate education at Harris Teachers College in St. Louis. He received a master's in educational administration at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and his doctoral degree in social relations in education at Washington University.

He began his career as a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher in St. Louis' inner-city schools and participated in the St. Louis busing program, which was part of the city's desegregation plan. As a professor at Southern Illinois, he taught courses in juvenile justice philosophy, delinquency causation and social problems.

In 2013, Quillian received the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Distinguished Business Officer Award. He has written numerous articles and given presentations on financial stewardship, strategic planning and budgeting, affirmative action and diversity, and juvenile justice.