S.P. Raj, a Distinguished Professor of marketing and marketing department chair, has been appointed interim dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management effective immediately, Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly announced Wednesday.

The appointment was announced a month after former Whitman Dean Kenneth Kavajecz was arrested on the charges of patronizing a prostitute. Kavajecz was removed from his position on Sept. 13, and he pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge in a court appearance in the town of Salina on Sept. 29.

Wheatly said the decision to name Raj is a result of discussions involving her, Vice Chancellor and Acting Dean Mike Haynie, students, faculty, staff and members of the Whitman School Advisory Council, according to an SU News release.

“As a former senior associate dean in the Whitman School, Professor Raj is a seasoned leader whose strong institutional knowledge, commitment to shared governance and excellence in teaching and research make him the ideal person to lead the Whitman School in the interim,” Wheatly said in the release. “I am grateful to Professor Raj for stepping into this very important leadership position, and look forward to working with him in his new role.”

Raj, who joined SU in 1978 with expertise in marketing strategy, said he is happy to take over the position.

“I am proud and privileged to have the opportunity to lead one of the University’s highest achieving schools during this time of transition,” Raj said in the release. “I am eager to partner with the great Whitman community as we collectively seek to build on the success achieved in recent years.”