WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Tuesday intends to nominate a professor from the Washington University School of Law to fill a Republican member vacancy of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Troy Paredes, who has taught securities regulation, corporate governance and other subjects at the St. Louis school since 2001, is the White House's choice to replace Paul Atkins, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity because the nomination had not yet been formally announced.

Atkins, 50, one of the SEC's three Republican members, on Monday said he will leave the agency following the end of his term on June 5.

Paredes, 37, did not immediately return requests for comment Tuesday afternoon. But according to information on the Washington University Web site, he is co-author of a securities law textbook, has written extensively on SEC matters, including the agency's oversight of hedge funds, and previously served as an associate at three Los Angeles law firms.

Paredes was a member of the corporate securities group at Irell & Manella LLP, an associate in the corporate and energy and natural resources departments at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and worked in the corporate department at O'Melveny & Myers LLP.

Following the departure of its two Democrats, the five-member SEC has been operating for several months with Republicans only: Atkins, SEC Chairman Christopher Cox and Commissioner Kathleen Casey. The party that controls the White House has three seats on the panel.

On the recommendation of Senate Democrats, Bush recently nominated Luis Aguilar, the former general counsel of investment management firm Invesco PLC, and Elisse Walter, a securities industry regulator, to fill the two Democratic slots. They are awaiting Senate confirmation.