Colleagues,
I am pleased to let you know that the State Board of Regents has selected
Dr. David W. Pershing as the 15th president of the University of Utah. As
many of you know, Dave comes to the job with a wealth of insight into the
opportunities and challenges at the U, having joined the faculty here as an
assistant professor of Chemical Engineering in 1977. Over the course of his
academic career, Dave has received a long list of impressive awards and
distinctions. Rather than list them here, I would invite you to read about
his accomplishments in the Regents’ press release, on our home page at
http://www.utah.edu
In this note, I want to say a little about my experience working closely with
Dave as senior vice president for Academic Affairs at the U, a post he has
held since 1998. Dave has been an exceptional leader at an important time
for the University of Utah. In an increasingly challenging fiscal
environment for public institutions of higher education, Dave has implemented
innovations that have enabled the university to grow, pursue new academic
initiatives and even find venture capital for groups wanting to try something
bold. During his 14 years overseeing academic affairs at the U, Dave has
made faculty and staff his top priority — because he recognizes that the
true strength of this university resides in the talent of the people we
attract and retain. He has hired great people, and he has enabled them to
thrive and make the maximum contribution to this institution. Dave possesses
a rare combination of qualities — a proven ability to lead and a genuine
passion for meaningful collaboration. He has the vision, energy, commitment,
and experience to guide this university to a new level of academic excellence
and international recognition.
More than 80 candidates applied to lead this great university, and in the end
the Board of Regents narrowed the field to two outstanding candidates. On
behalf of everyone at the University of Utah, I want to thank all those who
expressed an interest in joining us — and I want to offer my congratulations
and best wishes to President David W. Pershing, Dr. Sandi Pershing and their
family.
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Distribution of this message was approved by the University
of Utah President’s Office, 201 Presidents Circle, Room 203,
Salt Lake City UT 84112