ALBANY — The former president of Simmons College in Boston has been named interim president of The Sage Colleges

The Board of Trustees of The Sage Colleges named Susan C. Scrimshaw to the position, replacing retiring president Jeanne Neff. Scrimshaw will assume the post on Aug. 1.

“We are fortunate and privileged to welcome a well-respected and accomplished leader like Dr. Susan Scrimshaw to the Sage community. She is an award-winning, internationally recognized public health scholar, and we know her life experiences and wealth of knowledge will enrich our community,” said Michele Vennard, chairwoman of the board of trustees.

Scrimshaw has also served as dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago and associate dean for academic programs at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health. She holds master’s and doctoral degrees in anthropology from Columbia University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College.