The Utah Board of Higher Education voted Friday to appoint Jon Anderson, a Utah native and president of PennWest University, to the position. 

Anderson’s selection finalized a national search conducted by the Presidential Search Committee and the Utah Board of Higher Education to replace Astrid S. Tuminez, who stepped down as president in May.

Anderson, who attended Bingham High School and Utah State University, is no stranger to UVU. He said his father was an institute teacher on campus, and he attended Wolverine athletic events growing up. He also has a daughter and son-in-law attending the school. 

“For more than 40 years, I have observed UVU grow from its roots in technical training to the largest university in my home state of Utah,” Anderson said Friday. “Many here in this room and beyond have built this university into what it is today. But even with this success, I assure you our most ambitious days are ahead.”

His appointment comes 10 months after tragedy struck UVU, when political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an on-campus event in front of thousands of students. 

“We will take time to heal from the harrowing moments in UVU’s recent past. We will work to ensure these moments are recognized as part of UVU’s history, but don’t define its future,” he said. 

That future vision, Anderson said, is for UVU to become a “mission-directed and values-driven” university that will be a hub of the state’s higher education ecosystem.  

“UVU will continue to grow, large enough to fulfill its mission, but never become larger than a single student’s experience,” he said. “Shared governance will be our hallmark. We’ll be known for the healthy way we work together.”

Anderson received a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Kentucky and an M.Ed. in business education from the University of West Georgia.

He served as provost and vice president of academic affairs at Southern Utah University and Middle Georgia State University. He was appointed president of PennWest on July 1, 2024.