BATON ROUGE - Southern University and A&M College announced the death of former Chancellor James L. Llorens.

Llorens, an Alexandria native, led the university from 2011 to 2014. During that time, the university strengthened academic programming and enhanced student support initiatives, according to Southern.

Before becoming chancellor, Llorens served as dean of graduate studies, chair of the political science department and associate professor of public administration on the Baton Rouge campus. His academic leadership helped expand graduate education opportunities and elevate the university's research and scholarly profile.

He served the Baton Rouge community in multiple city-parish government roles. He worked as human resources director during the administration of Mayor-President Pat Screen. He served as assistant chief administrative officer during the administration of Mayor-President Melvin "Kip" Holden.

Llorens also worked as interim chief administrative officer during the administration of Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.