Westminster University announced its new president, Dr. Sylvia Torti, the current president of a northeastern liberal arts college and a former dean of the University of Utah Honors College.
Torti will replace current Westminster President Beth Dobkin this summer and will be inaugurated this fall.
Westminster announced Torti as the new president in a press release and email sent to the Westminster community Wednesday morning.
The College of the Atlantic also notified its community of Torti’s pending move to Westminster through an email and press release Wednesday. In that email, Torti explained her decision to come back to Utah.
“My decision is a deeply personal one, shaped by an opportunity that will allow me to return to Utah, a place that has been home for more than 30 years,” Torti said. “The chance to return to my son, my community of friends, and the natural environments that have shaped me felt like a calling I needed to follow.”
Associated Students of Westminster (ASW) President Max Gutierrez was part of the confidential presidential search committee and said why he thinks Torti will represent the university well.
“I have a strong feeling that Sylvia will model transparency and take a proactive approach to students’ concerns,” Gutierrez said. “I feel like she will communicate the value of this institution and the education we’re getting, which reaffirms our place here in where we’re showing up.”
Gutierrez said that when Torti becomes president, she will be able to reflect Westminster’s values as an institution.
“She’s a storyteller, creative writer and a scientist, and I think that combination works well for Westminster,” Gutierrez said. “[I] feel like she’s able to articulate the values that our institution promotes and stands for very well.”
