Five Years of Dreams

Celebrating President Astrid S. Tuminez's fifth anniversary as Utah Valley University president

By UVU Photo

September 18^th, 2023

From growing up in poverty in the Philippines to becoming the first woman to serve as president of Utah Valley University, Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez has demonstrated the power of dreams. Her dedication to student success has ensured that UVU is truly a place for everyone. As we celebrate her five-year anniversary as UVU president and look forward to the future, we’ve collected a gallery of images showing some of the milestones and magical moments of President Tuminez’s time as a Wolverine.

Astrid S. Tuminez was selected as UVU’s seventh president in April 2018 and officially began her duties on September 17, 2018. She was selected by a 24-member Presidential Search Committee from an extensive pool of national and international applicants.

“I am honored to have been selected by the Board of Regents, and look forward to leading Utah Valley University to its next level of success,” she said.

While President Tuminez began her service in 2018, her official inauguration came the following spring. The “Week of Dreams,” held in March 2019, combined the inauguration with the ribbon-cutting and grand opening of The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts, a brand-new home for music, theatre, and dance on UVU’s Orem Campus. The celebrations included performances by Jason Alexander and Sierra Boggess and a Presidential Lecture by Terry Crews.

No matter how packed the halls are on the first day of a new semester at UVU, it’s easy to spot President Tuminez. She carries a basket filled with candy and snacks and welcomes individual students with her customary enthusiasm, energy, and warmth. In pursuit of student success, President Tuminez took the lead in creating Vision 2030, a 10-year roadmap of strategic initiatives guided by three objectives: include, engage, and achieve.

President Tuminez stood with UVU and community leaders, along with namesake donors Scott C. and Karen Keller, to open the “new face of campus” — the Scott C. and Karen Keller Building — in January 2022. The 169,000-square-foot building is now the home of the Woodbury School of Business at UVU. A month earlier, President Tuminez led UVU in celebrating the opening of the Brandon D. Fugal Gateway Building, now the location of the presidential office suite and a welcome center for prospective students.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unexpected obstacles for everyone, especially in higher education. President Tuminez embraced every challenge with her customary enthusiasm, providing leadership as UVU offered more online and hybrid education options and hosted drive-thru ceremonies for commencement and convocations.

President Tuminez is a regular presence at the Utah State Legislature. She especially enjoys welcoming UVU performing artists, student leaders, and Culinary Arts students to the Utah State Capitol for UVU’s annual “Day on the Hill.”

Starting early in her presidency, President Tuminez has been a mainstay at athletics events, waving her trademark green pom-poms. She expresses a particular affinity for watching wrestling, but she gained national attention in 2023 as the UVU men’s basketball team reached the final four of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). During a home NIT game against Cincinnati — the first UVU home basketball game shown nationally on ESPN — broadcasters featured President Tuminez enthusiastically cheering on the Wolverines to victory.

President Tuminez has led several commencement ceremonies at UVU, but none were more memorable than 2023’s because her daughter Michal Tuminez Tolk received a degree. As the two of them addressed the Class of 2023 together, they celebrated the “hero’s journey” their lives had taken them on, individually and as a family.

Under President Tuminez’s leadership, UVU celebrated its 80th anniversary as an institution in 2021. During her tenure, UVU also reached the milestone of surpassing 40,000 total enrolled students, making UVU the largest university in the state by that metric. “We are young at 80!” she said. “We celebrate the positive impact that UVU has had on the lives of students, families, and the community.” Today, UVU’s enrollment is approaching 45,000, and the Class of 2022 included 11,064 graduates — UVU’s largest class ever.

As UVU celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2021, President Tuminez welcomed a landmark donation: a gift of $25 million from Qualtrics co-founder Scott M. Smith and his wife Karen Smith to help fund UVU’s planned engineering building. “We now celebrate Scott and Karen Smith and their visionary gift, which will lay the foundation for UVU’s next 80 years,” she said. “Their generosity will benefit thousands of students — many yet to be born.”

Among the many donations, new buildings, and announcements President Tuminez has overseen, this one stands out: a multi-year pledge from Utah Community Credit Union (UCCU) totaling $28.5 million, $20 million of which will fund a new soccer stadium on UVU’s Orem Campus. “UCCU Stadium will take this sport to the next level for our student-athletes and fans,” President Tuminez said. “It will give our men's and women's soccer programs an exceptional competitive advantage and open many doors for our student-athletes.”

President Tuminez loves telling stories, and she especially loves highlighting the grit and resilience of UVU students. Her vision and leadership spearheaded the Wolverine Stories series, which features UVU students from across the globe — including many from Utah — and showcases their amazing lives and achievements.

President Tuminez’s life has taken her to many different countries, and her international expertise goes back decades. During her time at UVU, the university has hosted conferences involving the United Nations, welcomed national and international business leaders for the China Challenge Summit, and brought in speakers from across the globe.

Before coming to UVU, President Tuminez served in an executive role at Microsoft in Singapore. With her expertise and leadership experience in the tech sector, she is a frequent speaker at Silicon Slopes events. She also serves on the Silicon Slopes Board of Directors and was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2022.

As the first woman to serve full-time as UVU president, President Tuminez has been heavily involved with UVU’s Women’s Success Center, which guides students to and through higher education by providing an environment of personalized support to accelerate their timeline to graduation.

The highlight of the UVU annual social calendar, the President’s Scholarship Ball brings UVU supporters, community members, and leaders together to provide full-tuition scholarships for high-performing students. The event combines incredible food, entertainment, and inspirational stories into one unforgettable evening. Last year, the Scholarship Ball raised $455,000 for UVU presidential scholarships.

EverGREEN, UVU’s inaugural comprehensive fundraising campaign, seeks to impact every aspect of campus, from engineering to athletics and from the arts to automotive. EverGREEN will ensure UVU remains a flexible and relevant educational option for generations. Referencing the novel “The Overstory” by Richard Powers, President Tuminez said: “Like a tree whose every ring tells a story of growth and storms weathered, UVU, too, is still growing, overcoming challenges, and seizing opportunities.”

Through multiple platforms, including Faculty Senate, the Professional Association of Campus Employees (PACE), and her Talk With Tuminez broadcasts, President Tuminez keeps in touch with UVU faculty and staff and shares important updates, student success stories, and university-wide achievements.

Below we've included more memorable moments from President Tuminez's first five years of exceptional care, exceptional accountability, and exceptional results at UVU. With these and many other successes as a foundation, the best is yet to come.