A dean from UCLA has been appointed the next president of Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

Judy Olian, who currently serves as dean of UCLA's Anderson School of Management, will become Quinnipiac's first female president when she takes over for John Lahey, who will retire at the end of June.

Olian's appointment was announced Monday by William Weldon, the chairman of Quinnipiac's Board of Trustees, nine months after the private school launched a nationwide search for Lahey's successor.

"We are confident she will build on the university's current momentum and strong foundation and will lead Quinnipiac to further impact and national recognition," Weldon said.

Olian has served as dean at the Anderson School of Management since 2006. She is credited with raising more than $400 million for student and faculty support at the school. She previously served as dean and professor of management at Penn State and professor and senior associate dean at the University of Maryland.

"I'm attracted to the purpose and mission of Quinnipiac, and its comfort in leading change," Olian said. "I've seen a remarkable trajectory of growth in this university. I am eager to partner across the community in building on that."

In addition to her academic duties directing UCLA's graduate business school, Olian also has written a weekly syndicated newspaper column and hosted a monthly television show on current topics in business.

Lahey has led the school since 1987 as it grew from a small college into a university of nearly 10,000 students on three campuses. The number of graduate students has grown from 106 to almost 3,000 as the school established several new departments including a school of medicine, a school of law and a school of engineering.

The university now awards 2,600 degrees annually, compared to only 575 when Lahey arrived 31 years ago.

He also oversaw the transition from Division II athletics to Division I.