Grinnell College has appointed Raynard S. Kington, a deputy director of the National Institutes of Health, to be its president. The new leader of the highly competitive liberal arts school in Iowa may be the only openly gay African-American man to head a college.

According to Rod 2.0, which cites the press release from the college, Kington, his partner, and their two children will move to Grinnell during the summer before he takes up the position in August.

Kington, M.D, M.B.A.,. and Ph.D., was among more than 200 candidates considered to be 13th president of the 164-year-old college. The search committee voted for him unanimously.