By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Temple University’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to elect the institution’s tenth president. Although the President-Elect’s tenure begins January 1st, he already has his priority’s for the university in place.

“It is great to be an Owl.”

As the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Indiana University in Bloomington, Neil Theobald is no stranger to big budgets or a large student body. He’s overseen IU’s $3.1 billion dollar budget since 2007 and spearheaded a billion-dollar fundraising campaign.

He has a Ph.D. in education, is a professor and researcher, with published articles in numerous journals. With all of his experience both inside and outside the classroom, Theobald says he already has priorities set for Temple:

“Looking at the fundraising program, how do we expand that, what’s our strategy, how do we make contact with people — that’ll be number one. Then, how do we make the athletic program successful in the Big East, that’s a very important step. And alas, financial aid.”

Like many Temple students, Theobald says he is part of the first generation in his family to go to college. He says that is just one of the reason why affordable education, increasing financial aid and limiting student debt will be a major focus of his tenure.