Clemson taps UGA provost Benjamin Ayers as its next university president
Clemson University selected University of Georgia provost Benjamin Ayers as its 16th president after the initially chosen Kevin Guskiewicz reversed his decision to join Clemson; Ayers, who oversees UGA’s academic enterprise, will begin Aug. 1, 2026, succeeding Jim Clements and guiding Clemson through a presidential transition that followed a high-profile search and interim leadership.