The Bush Foundation said today that Robert Bruininks will serve as its interim president.

Bruininks had been president of the University of Minnesota until he stepped down last summer; he stayed with the university as a professor of educational and civic leadership at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

The previous Bush president, Peter Hutchinson, left in January and the nonprofit’s board is conducting a national search for a replacement.

Jan K. Malcolm, chair of the Bush Foundation Board, said in a statement:   “[Bruininks’] experience and thought leadership will ensure that progress on the Foundation’s important work continues unabated as we undertake a search for the Foundation’s next president.”