OREM— Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez officially begins her service as the seventh president of Utah Valley University today, Sept. 17. She takes the reins from UVU interim president Dr. Jeffery E. Olson, who returns to his role as UVU’s senior vice president of academic affairs, also effective today.
President Tuminez has been in communication with Olson and other UVU leaders while finishing her work for Microsoft in Singapore as the company’s regional director for corporate, external, and legal affairs in southeast Asia. She was chosen as UVU president in April 2018 by the Utah State Board of Regents after an international search.
“I want to say thank you to the amazing students, faculty, staff, and community at UVU,” Tuminez said. “I am grateful for your service and your willingness to bring your energy, creativity, and life experience to UVU. There are many challenges ahead, but I am extremely excited to start this new chapter at UVU. Together we can do amazing things.”
“President Tuminez has a remarkable story that exemplifies UVU’s mission — a life transformed through educational opportunity,” Olson said. “She is very committed to UVU’s open-admission, integrated community college and university mission. She could have chosen to be president of any of a number of universities, many with longer histories of academic renown, but she was able to recognize how remarkable UVU is and the extraordinary value of what it is doing.”
Tuminez has recorded an introductory message for the UVU community, which is available on the university’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UtahValleyUniversity/videos/254160845304273/.
To read more about Tuminez and UVU’s presidential transition process, please visit the Office of the President website at uvu.edu/president.
About Utah Valley University
At more than 37,000 students and growing, Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah and one of a few in the nation offering a dual-mission model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs, and faculty-mentored research is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.