Following a national search, Norman S. Wright was named president and CEO of the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine on Friday.

“The Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine is fortunate to have someone with Dr. Wright’s unique set of skills and experience as its next president,” Francis Gibson, chair of the board of trustees at Noorda-COM, said in a press release. “Dr. Wright’s strong business acumen together with his experience within the local community and in higher education will be incredibly valuable as the college continues its path to becoming a leader in medical education in Utah.”

Wright has served as the interim president of Noorda-COM since July 2021, and he will take the official title in February.

“I am deeply honored to have been chosen to lead the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine at such a critical time in higher education,” Wright said in a press release. “We are at a crossroads where old models no longer meet the needs of today’s digitally savvy students who are curious, capable, and committed to harnessing knowledge for the betterment of their communities. I am excited to work together with the Board, students, faculty, staff, and our community as we transform medical education in the service of our community.”

Wright was selected by the Noorda-COM board of trustees after the board-appointed presidential search committee began looking for a candidate in September. Out of the two finalists recommended by the committee, the board of trustees ultimately chose Wright, a decision that was ratified by the Noorda Medical School Board.

Wright has served as the dean of the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University since 2010 and has had a hand in the addition of several new graduate degree programs at the school, as well as raising funds for the new Scott C. Keller Building, which opened its doors Wednesday.

Before his time as dean, Wright taught and administered at universities internationally in Dubai, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, as well as domestically in Hawaii. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in public administration from Brigham Young University, and a master’s in management and doctorate in management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Noorda-COM, located in Provo, is a private for-profit medical school that welcomed its inaugural class of students in August. The school offers students Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degrees, as well as a combined DO/MBA degrees through a partnership with UVU.

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