Kansas Education Commissioner Andy Tompkins, who announced last month he would retire from his longtime state post, will join Kansas University’s faculty, KU officials announced today.

Tompkins, who has been education commissioner since 1996, will leave his post in June and join KU’s School of Education as an associate professor in the Educational Leadership Program. The program prepares students earning their master’s and doctoral degrees for careers as principals, superintendents and other school administrators.

“I look forward to joining KU’s School of Education,” Tompkins said in a prepared statement. “What an exciting opportunity for me to help develop school leaders, conduct research and make KU’s leadership program the best it can be.”

David Shulenburger, KU’s provost and executive vice chanceller, said Tompkins would bring “a unique perspective, having served as a teacher, principal, superintendent and leader of K-12 education in Kansas.”

Tompkins was interim dean of the School of Education at Pittsburg State University and chaired Pittsburg State’s Department of Special Services and Administrative Studies. Prior to that, he was a superintendent for Salina, El Dorado and Satanta school districts for 17 years. He was named Kansas Superintendent of the Year for the 1991-92 school year.