In a unanimous vote of the Utah Board of Regents on Thursday, Ruth Watkins was selected to be the next president of the University of Utah.

A search committee announced three finalists last week, narrowing the candidate pool to two out-of-state university administrators and Watkins, senior vice president for academic affairs Ruth Watkins.

Watkins recently collaborated with outgoing U. President David Pershing on a report planning the U.’s future. Once her appointment is finalized, she will be the first female president of the state’s flagship campus. (Jerilyn McIntyre, now a U. professor emeritus of communication, served as interim U. president twice, once in 1991 and again in 1997.)

The out-of-state candidates to replace Pershing included Nicholas Jones, an executive vice president at Pennsylvania State University, and Thomas Katsouleas, executive vice president of the University of Virginia.

(Courtesy the University of Utah) Nicholas P. Jones serves as executive vice president and provost at The Pennsylvania State University. He is among three finalists to replace outdoing University of Utah president David Pershing.
(Courtesy the University of Utah) Nicholas P. Jones serves as executive vice president and provost at The Pennsylvania State University. He is among three finalists to replace outdoing University of Utah president David Pershing.

“The University of Utah Presidential Search Committee has narrowed the applicant pool to these three highly qualified candidates and is honored to recommend them to the Board of Regents for its consideration in selecting a new leader for the university,” search committee co-chairman Harris Simmons said in a written statement last week.

(Courtesy the University of Utah) Thomas Katsouleas is executive vice president and provost of the University of Virginia, where he directs the academic administration of the 11 schools, the library, art museums, public service activities, university centers and foreign study programs. He is among three finalists to replace outgoing University of Utah president David Pershing.
(Courtesy the University of Utah) Thomas Katsouleas is executive vice president and provost of the University of Virginia, where he directs the academic administration of the 11 schools, the library, art museums, public service activities, university centers and foreign study programs. He is among three finalists to replace outgoing University of Utah president David Pershing.

All three finalists participated in closed meetings Wednesday with members of the campus community.

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Pershing, a longtime U. employee and president since 2012, announced in May that he would step down after a successor was selected. Pershing has said he intends to remain at the U. as a member of the faculty, mostly likely in the school’s engineering college.

The Salt Lake Tribune will update this story.

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