C. Peter Magrath, senior adviser to the College Board and past president of three public universities, likely will be named interim president at West Virginia University.

Dr. Magrath, 75, was the chief lobbyist for the nation's public colleges from 1992 to 2005, serving as president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges in Washington, D.C., the nation's oldest higher education association.

A political scientist with degrees from the University of New Hampshire and Cornell University, he was president of the University of Minnesota for 10 years before accepting the president's post at the University of Missouri, where he served from 1985 to 1991. A Brooklyn native who lives in Glen Echo, Md., Dr. Magrath also headed the State University of New York at Binghamton from 1972-74 and taught at Brown University and the University of Nebraska.

Dr. Magrath (pronounced Ma-GRAW) would replace President Mike Garrison, who announced last month he was stepping down effective Sept. 1 in the wake of an academic scandal involving Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter, Mylan Inc. executive Heather Bresch.

Mr. Garrison has not said what his future plans are, but testimony he gave in a deposition released yesterday indicated he could be planning to stay with the university in another capacity.

Mr. Garrison testified that although he stepped down from his post, he did not resign, a distinction apparently designed to give him the option of remaining at the university for the two years left on his employment contract.

"I didn't indicate I was resigning effective Sept. 1. I indicated that I was stepping down as president Sept. 1," Mr. Garrison said in a 10-hour deposition June 12 as part of the university's lawsuit against former head football coach Rich Rodriguez.

Faculty, students, alumni and donors had called for Mr. Garrison's removal after an investigative panel concluded that the university falsified academic records to award a master's of business administration degree to Ms. Bresch that she did not earn.

Ms. Bresch is a longtime friend of Mr. Garrison, who reported to her as a one-time lobbyist for Mylan. The Cecil-based generic drug maker's chairman, Milan Puskar, is WVU's biggest benefactor.

Mr. Garrison has denied any involvement in the decision to award the degree to Ms. Bresch in October, nine years after she left the program. The investigative panel put Mr. Garrison's key aides, including his chief of staff, at the center of the decision.

Mr. Garrison's contract obligates the university to employ him "as president, or in some other capacity" through June 30, 2010, unless he voluntarily resigns or is fired by the board of governors, which hired him.

Firing Mr. Garrison appears to be unlikely. Board members have expressed their support on several occasions, thanking him at their June 6 meeting for his "extraordinary service." A week earlier, the board issued a statement saying there was no evidence that Mr. Garrison did anything to influence the decision to award the degree to Ms. Bresch.

During Mr. Garrison's videotaped deposition, WVU attorney Thomas Flaherty interrupted questioning to object to the use of the word "resignation" to characterize Mr. Garrison's departure.

Mr. Rodriguez's Ohio-based attorney, Marvin Robon, then asked Mr. Garrison "Did you resign as president?"

"I stated that I would conclude my service as president on Sept. 1," Mr. Garrison responded.

Depositions taken June 10 of two members of the board of governors indicated that Mr. Garrison did not submit a resignation letter.

"All I'm familiar with was he made a verbal announcement to the board and the public," Morgantown businessman Parry Petroplus testified.

"If he has [submitted a written resignation] I'm not aware of it," Charleston attorney Steve Farmer said.

Mr. Garrison did not say in his deposition what his plans were after he steps down as president. Under the terms of his contract, if the university were to employ him in another capacity for the remainder of his contract, he would be paid "at the presidential salary," which was initially set at $255,000. His salary is set to rise by the same percentage as the faculty's pay, which will go up an average of 7.3 percent Oct. 1.

WVU spokeswoman Janey Cink said Mr. Garrison's busy schedule did not permit time for an interview for this story. She declined to say why Mr. Garrison objected to the word "resign" or answer questions about Mr. Garrison's plans.

Board of governors Chairman Steve Goodwin, who did not return a telephone call, has told other media it is possible the board could find a spot for Mr. Garrison elsewhere at the university.

In his deposition, Mr. Farmer said neither he nor anyone else on the board asked Mr. Garrison to step aside.

"I didn't hear anybody on the board of governors express a reservation about him as president," Mr. Farmer said. "I would not have voted for his termination."

Mr. Farmer's term on the board expired June 30, and he asked not to be reappointed. In his deposition, he blamed Mr. Garrison's departure on the news media, which he referred to as "the mob."

In his deposition, Mr. Farmer said that "under the appropriate circumstances," he would have no objections if Mr. Garrison continued drawing a salary from WVU after Sept. 1. When asked what job the president could be given, Mr. Farmer said he had not thought about it.

Some believe that Mr. Garrison will not remain at WVU. Medical school professor Judith Sedgeman said that given the storm of criticism, particularly from influential donors and faculty, that led to Mr. Garrison's decision to step down, there would be an outcry if he was given another job.

Separately, Mr. Manchin yesterday named former Oracle Corp. president and Moon native Ray Lane to the board of governors. Mr. Lane will join former Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Charles M. Vest and professional soccer team executive Oliver Luck, who were nominated by Mr. Manchin last week.

Mr. Lane, a member of the board of trustees at Carnegie Mellon University and managing partner of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, fills the final vacancy on WVU's board.