The Utah Board of Regents has appointed David R. Woolstenhulme, former Commissioner of Technical Education and current Vice President of Statewide Campuses at Utah State University, as Interim Commissioner of Higher Education. Dr. Woolstenhulme will assume the role on July 1, 2019.
“I am honored to be selected as Interim Commissioner of Higher Education,” said Dr. Woolstenhulme. “I have been fortunate to serve in many positions in higher education in Utah throughout my career. Above all, I find no greater satisfaction than seeing our students succeed. I look forward to working with the Board, institutional presidents, and other state leaders to champion higher education in Utah and work to address our most pressing issues over the next year.”
Harris H. Simmons, Chair of the Board of Regents, stated, “The Board and the Utah System of Higher Education are fortunate that Dr. Woolstenhulme is willing to step into the role of interim commissioner. He is a respected academic administrator with a strong commitment to students, and his deep understanding of postsecondary education governance in Utah will serve the Board well during this time of transition.”
Dr. David R. Woolstenhulme currently serves as Vice President of Statewide Campuses for Utah State University, a position he has held since 2018. Prior to that, he served as the Utah Commissioner of Technical Education where he was the CEO for the Utah System of Technical Colleges, providing state-level leadership and oversight for the eight technical colleges in Utah. He also served as Executive Vice Provost at USU, as well as the President of Uintah Basin Applied Technology College. Dr. Woolstenhulme received his bachelor and master’s degrees from Utah State University, and his Doctorate of Education from the University of Wyoming.
In early 2019, David L. Buhler, Commissioner of Higher Education, announced that he will be concluding his service as Commissioner later in the year. He will serve as Commissioner until June 30, 2019, then will go on to teach political science at the University of Utah.
“We also want to thank Commissioner Buhler for his seven years as Commissioner and 19 total years working for the Utah System of Higher Education,” said Simmons. “He has steered the Board through a strategic planning process and taken on tough issues like college completion and access. We wish him well as he concludes his service as commissioner and begins teaching at the University of Utah.”
