Astrid Tuminez, president of Utah Valley University (UVU), has announced she will step down at the end of the spring semester in May. The 61-year-old made the announcement during her State of the University address on Wednesday, describing the decision as a mix of grief and relief.
Tuminez’s tenure has been marked by personal tragedy and institutional crisis. Her husband, Jeffrey Tolk, died suddenly in February 2025. Months later, on 10 September 2025, far-right commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated on campus, thrusting the university into a national political storm over campus speech and political violence.
UVU continues to grapple with the aftermath of Kirk’s death, with divisions over how to remember him. Some Republican leaders and officials have pushed for memorialisation, while others warn against politicising the tragedy. Tuminez, who was travelling to Rome when the news broke, described the shock as “like my whole body was on fire”.
During her nearly eight-year presidency, Tuminez oversaw significant growth: enrolment rose by more than 20%, the endowment more than doubled to $129m, and new centres in applied AI, fintech and constitutional studies were established. She was the first woman, person of colour and immigrant to lead UVU, located in one of Utah’s most conservative counties.
Tuminez expressed concern about the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on higher education, including heightened immigration enforcement and visa restrictions. She noted that as a former international student herself, she values the global influence of US universities. “One of the superpowers of America is our influence globally,” she said.
