Peter B. Barr, chief planning and human resources officer at Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc., has accepted the position of provost at Coastal Carolina University, effective Aug. 1, according to an announcement by Coastal President Ronald R. Ingle.

Barr served as dean of Coastal's E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration from July 1992 to October 2000, when he resigned to accept the new position with Burroughs & Chapin.

"We are delighted that Peter Barr will be returning to Coastal to serve as provost of the university," said Ingle. "Pete is recognized throughout the region for his vision, his integrity, and his dedication to the community. His deep understanding and commitment to Coastal's ambitious academic mission make him uniquely qualified to lead the university to new achievements in scholarship, faculty research and community service."

In accepting the position, Barr said "I am excited about the tremendous future of Coastal and look forward to the many opportunities that working in this position will afford me. At the same time, I am especially grateful to Doug Wendel and Burroughs & Chapin for the opportunity to have worked for such a fine organization."

The provost serves as the chief academic officer of the university. University officials who report to the provost include the deans of Coastal's academic colleges, schools and the library, as well as the directors of the international and honors programs at Coastal.

Barr joined the Coastal faculty in 1987. During his tenure as dean, the Wall College of Business earned national accreditation and developed many innovative programs, including the Resort Tourism Management program, the PGA-sanctioned Professional Golf Management program, and the Wall Fellows program, an intensive leadership training initiative for top business students. Barr also has a considerable record of volunteer community service throughout the Horry County-Grand Strand area. He is chairman of the Myrtle Beach Downtown Redevelopment Corporation and is a past president of the Conway Chamber of Commerce. He has served as a member of the Carolina Bays Parkway Task Force, the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Redevelopment Task Force and the United Way of Horry County.

Barr earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in business administration from Marshall University and a doctoral degree in business administration from Louisiana Tech University. Prior to joining the Coastal faculty he taught at Marshall University.

Approximately 110 candidates applied for the position of provost. Final candidates were recommended to President Ingle by a search committee consisting of faculty and administrators representative of all academic areas of the university.