Dale Whittaker will be the next president of University of Central Florida. 

• Dale Whittaker confirmed by state as next UCF president
• Was approved by the school earlier this month
• Will start in July, after President Hitt retires

The Florida Board of Governors unanimously confirmed Whittaker as UCF's fifth president Thursday.

Whittaker, currently a provost and executive vice president, will take over on July 1 from current President John Hitt.

Hitt is retiring after 26 years as president in June.

UCF's Board of Trustees selected Whittaker earlier this month after a nationwide search, but it still required final approval by the Board of Governors, which oversees the state's 12 public universities.

Whittaker has been a provost since 2014, and was made executive vice president in 2015. He has degrees in agricultural engineering from Texas A&M University and Purdue University.