The U.S. Education Department announced today that President Bush had chosen James Manning to serve as acting assistant secretary for postsecondary education.

In that post, Mr. Manning will at least temporarily replace Sally L. Stroup as the department’s top higher-education official. Ms. Stroup resigned in March to take a top staff position on a Congressional education committee (The Chronicle, March 17).

Mr. Manning most recently served as chief of staff of the department’s Federal Student Aid office. He has also served as acting assistant secretary for civil rights and, before that, as chief of staff to the deputy education secretary, from 2001 to 2004. Before joining the Bush administration, Mr. Manning was director of international events for the National Basketball Association.