Board members voted Monday to hire Morehead, a 1980 graduate of the University of Georgia Law School, who also served as senior vice president for academic affairs. He becomes the 22nd president of the university.

A presidential search committee named Morehead as the sole finalist for the position last week. In mid-December the committee, headed by attorney and former state lawmaker Larry Walker, announced the field had been narrowed to nine candidates — five of whom were college presidents.

Adams, who has praised Morehead for his integrity and institutional knowledge of the university, is set to retire in June.