Wayne A. I. Frederick. Photo courtesy Howard University.

Howard University has appointed Wayne A. I. Frederick as its 17th president.

Frederick — a surgeon and researcher who’s served as Howard’s interim president since October 2013, as well as provost and chief academic office — was approved unanimously Monday by the university’s Board of Trustees.

“Selecting a university president is one of the most critical decisions a Board of Trustees is entrusted to make, and Dr. Frederick’s selection is the result of an extraordinarily thorough and thoughtful process,” said Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “After conducting an exhaustive national search, we identified a finalist pool, comprised of both internal and external candidates. From this stellar group, Dr. Frederick stood out as supremely qualified, remarkably motivated, and uniquely suited to lead Howard University.”

In a letter, Board chairman Stacey J. Mobley said Frederick “has a keen awareness of what the University needs, and he possesses the skills to lead Howard.”

Howard has faced a number of challenges in recent years including federal budget cuts, fiscal mismanagement, a credit downgrading and low morale. About 200 staff positions were cut in February.

In a release, Frederick, a native of Trinidad and Tobago who enrolled at Howard when he was 16, said he “could not be more humbled to accept the mantle of leadership and embrace the sacred trust of our motto, Truth and Service.”