'Nothing short of remarkable': UVU President Astrid Tuminez announces she is stepping down

OREM — After nearly seven years at the helm of Utah's largest university, Astrid Tuminez on Wednesday announced she will be stepping down from her role as president at Utah Valley University after the end of the semester. "I cried a lot last night, so I'm not crying today. I am leaving UVU," Tuminez said. "The flow of life always goes on and I hope everybody here remembers what this university is about — that the momentum is tremendous and it goes on without me." The announcement came during Tuminez's annual "State of the University" address. The move will be effective May 1. As UVU's seventh president, Tuminez made history as the first woman to serve in the position on a full-time basis. Beyond being the first woman to lead the university, Tuminez's rise to her position was seemingly improbable. Born in a farming village in the Philippine province of Iloilo, Tuminez moved with her parents and siblings to the slums of Iloilo City when she was 2 years old, her parents seeking better educational opportunities for their children. OREM — After nearly seven years at the helm of Utah's largest university, Astrid Tuminez on Wednesday announced she will be stepping down from her role as president at Utah Valley University after the end of the semester. "I cried a lot last night, so I'm not crying today. I am leaving UVU," Tuminez said. "The flow of life always goes on and I hope everybody here remembers what this university is about — that the momentum is tremendous and it goes on without me." The announcement came during Tuminez's annual "State of the University" address. The move will be effective May 1. As UVU's seventh president, Tuminez made history as the first woman to serve in the position on a full-time basis. Beyond being the first woman to lead the university, Tuminez's rise to her position was seemingly improbable. Born in a farming village in the Philippine province of Iloilo, Tuminez moved with her parents and siblings to the slums of Iloilo City when she was 2 years old, her parents seeking better educational opportunities for their children. "We will miss him more than words can express," UVU noted in a press release. Tuminez, meanwhile, called her husband of 37 years her "soul mate, my pillar and partner … who will have my heart, my laughter, and my tears forever." Tolk, 61, died after suffering a pulmonary embolism and complications caused by high altitude while climbing Ecuador's Mount Cotopaxi, according to his obituary. Seven months later, on Sept. 10, the campus community was again struck by another tragedy to navigate when conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University last year. "It's a tragedy that's really hard to even comprehend, having lived through it myself, just wondering how did that happen?" Herbert said. "She's handled it with dignity and grace. It's been a hard thing for her, I think, more personal than people realize, having lost her husband just a few months before. But she's done a good job of making sure people understand that's not the culture of Utah Valley University, it's not the culture of Utah, it's a one-off situation." Still, 2025 didn't come without its positives for the university, which Tuminez reflected on during her departure speech. First announced publicly in 2022, EverGREEN — UVU's comprehensive funding campaign — reached $250 million before closing on Dec. 31. "All of that money has gone into building, programs (and) scholarships. It is game-changing," Tuminez said. UVU in March signed a three-year agreement with NVIDIA, a global leader in technology and AI, to provide extensive resources to train UVU students, faculty and staff in applied AI. In December, UVU signed a memorandum of understanding with Salt Lake Community College to establish a pathway towards bachelor's degrees for more Utah students by allowing students who graduate from SLCC to automatically be admitted to UVU to finish their degree, often carrying over scholarships. "The story of UVU is going to continue — a story of love, excellence and resilience, and I hope we all remember these words," Tuminez said. As for her next steps, those are still unclear. "Time is finite, so that's been on my mind. How do I carve out more time for me, my children, and a lot of creative pursuits that I actually want to do? So there's a lot of conversation, and at some point, I will announce what is next for me," Tuminez said.

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