Orem • After being in a harsh spotlight for the past year, Utah Valley University now has a new president to take on the daunting task of moving the school forward following the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on campus.

That tough role will be filled by Utah native Jon Anderson, whose selection was unanimously approved Friday by the state’s Board of Higher Education. He will step into the role on Aug. 10, shortly before students return to campus for fall semester and one month before the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s Sept. 10 death.

In his first comments, Anderson acknowledged the timing, saying he hopes to help the Orem school continue healing from “the harrowing moments” in its recent past.

He added: “We will make sure those are recognized as part of UVU’s history but don’t define its future.”

That balance of memorializing and moving on have been heatedly debated more in recent weeks, as Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, appeared in court for a preliminary hearing to determine if there’s evidence to move forward with a trial. At the same time, many continue making pilgrimages to UVU’s campus to mourn in the courtyard where Kirk was shot, while others don’t want the divisive figure celebrated.

Utah Board of Higher Education Chair Amanda Covington said she’s confident in Anderson’s ability to walk that delicate tightrope as the eighth president of UVU.

“He is a collaborative and forward-thinking leader,” Covington added.

Anderson takes over after beloved former President Astrid Tuminez stepped down at the end of April, having guided the school in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s death while also grappling with the loss of her husband.

On Friday, Anderson was welcomed to the stage by a roar of cheers and claps from an auditorium packed with people all wearing green, UVU’s signature color. He had on a dark emerald tie to match, with his wife, Kristy, and their seven kids and eight grandkids — all girls, and with two more granddaughters on the way — filling the front row in similar shades. Anderson’s mom was also there and wiped away tears at the announcement of his name.

Anderson’s passion for higher education grew out of a childhood that included a lot of time spent on UVU’s campus, where his dad worked for more than two decades at the nearby Institute of Religion that serves students who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As a kid, Anderson recalled loving any visit where he got to walk under the school’s iconic hall of international flags — trying to see how many countries he could recognize. And he’d cheer on any UVU sports team he could from the bleachers.

While a student at South Jordan’s Bingham High School, he said, his dad also connected him with a UVU faculty member to help him with a project he had been dreading.

“I admit, I likely needed a bit of inspiration or encouragement,” Anderson told the audience with a laugh. “After that help, I can assure you, the project was a success.”

He later earned a bachelor’s degree at Utah State University in Logan.

Anderson said he’s looking forward to returning to a place that feels like home — and where he can return to skiing and mountain biking. He most recently has been serving as the president of Pennsylvania Western University, more commonly referred to as PennWest, a public university of nearly 11,000 students with three campuses.

In taking the helm of UVU, Anderson will oversee a school that’s more than four times that size. The public Utah university has nearly 47,000 students — the largest student body of any higher education institution in the state.

He’s also had a role in Utah’s university scene before. Prior to PennWest, Anderson was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southern Utah University in Cedar City. Before that, he worked at Middle Georgia State University and the University of West Georgia. With most of those positions, he also worked as a faculty member teaching business courses.

“The best days at UVU are ahead,” Anderson said Friday, “and we will create them together.”

Challenges and opportunities

Navigating the aftermath of Kirk’s death isn’t the only challenge Anderson will face in the role, but it is probably the biggest.

The school has not yet released an independent review that it commissioned to look at what went wrong with its staffing that day. UVU has faced widespread criticism for not providing enough police officers to cover the event where Kirk was speaking to a crowd of thousands.

Meanwhile, both state and federal headwinds continue to push against higher education.

That includes pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration on schools to enroll fewer international students and make major cuts to research funding.

The Utah Legislature also instituted sweeping budget cuts for public colleges and universities, currently in their second year of implementation, with direction to reinvest in high-paying career fields. UVU’s share was $8.9 million.

And that came after an already restrictive state policy curtailing diversity initiatives. UVU had tried to maintain its Center For Intercultural Engagement, but ultimately ended up eliminating the staff for the affiliated programs supporting LGBTQ students, multicultural students and women.

But Anderson is well-positioned for much of that work. As president of PennWest, appointed in July 2024, he focused on “budget optimization,” according to his resumé. That included coming into the Pennsylvania university after three separate schools were merged into one and handling the enrollment and financial challenges of that.

Anderson ultimately spearheaded the slashing of 120 academic degrees and certificates, according to reporting from The Tribune-Review in Pennsylvania. And he focused on realigning programs to meet workforce needs, which has also been the call of Utah’s Legislature.

His goals for UVU, he said, include continuing in that direction, as well as stoking growing enrollment and maintaining the mission of an open-admissions institution that accepts all applicants — no matter their credentials.

“I am drawn to UVU because an open door means a wider path for more people,” he said.

That model, Anderson added, has personally benefited his family. His older sister, Jana, attended UVU after high school and left before completing her degree. She recently returned as a nontraditional student and earned her bachelor’s there.

Anderson also has a daughter and son-in-law currently attending the school. And he hopes his granddaughters — at least some of them — might be the fourth generation someday to have a connection to the university.

“You can rest assured that they will receive many green T-shirts over the years in an effort to carry the UVU legacy,” he said with a laugh.

‘Fierce dedication to student success’

Anderson’s appointment also continues the turnover trend among the state’s higher education leadership: He is the third new president among the state’s eight public universities and colleges to be named in the last year.

A new leader has also been named to the helm of Weber State University. And Brad Mortensen, who previously held that position, now leads Utah State University.

Anderson was notably picked under the state’s now entirely secret hiring process for higher education’s top posts approved by the Legislature in 2025.

The public was not informed about any finalists or told about their experience, as they had been in the past. Now, the final name is only made public when the Utah Board of Higher Education announces a new leader.

Geoff Landward, the commissioner of Utah’s public system of higher education, said Friday that Anderson has the right amount of “fierce dedication to student success and workforce alignment” for the job.

In addition to receiving his bachelor’s degree in sociology at USU, Anderson also received an associate degree at Ricks College, which is now Brigham Young University-Idaho.

He also holds a master’s degree in education from the University of West Georgia and a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Kentucky.

His leadership charge, Anderson said, is to always put students first. “The work of UVU is not accomplished solely or even primarily by a president,” he said.

And students are already excited for his tenure. Herby Fullmer, the student body president at UVU, said Friday: “I’m looking forward to collaborating closely together to make UVU an even better place for every single student.”