HARRISBURG — A director at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was chosen Monday to be the new chancellor of Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities.

Slippery Rock University is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

The 14 universities have struggled with state aid cuts and trying to recruit students to their rural campuses.

The system announced that Daniel Greenstein will assume leadership of the system on Sept. 4. His salary will be $380,000.

Greenstein, 57, has worked with the Gates Foundation for the past six years.

He was previously a top administrator in the University of California system.

He said the state system’s efforts to redesign itself have pushed it “to the forefront of innovation nationally.”

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf said Greenstein has the knowledge and expertise to help revamp the system.

“Dr. Greenstein will focus the efforts of all involved in the state system on student success while creating a sustainable financial path forward for our 14 universities,” Wolf said.

Greenstein holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in social studies from Oxford University.

He succeeds Frank Brogan, who has been nominated to be assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education.

Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities enroll more than 100,000 degree-seeking students.

In addition to Slippery Rock, the state system includes Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg and West Chester universities.