Kevin J. Worthen, the current advancement Vice President of Brigham Young University, BYU, is named the school's 13th president, effective May 1.
Worthen, the former dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School, will succeed long-time school president Dr. Cecil O. Samuelson, who is stepping down after serving eleven years in the top administrative job. Worthen's immediate responsibility will be to increase the enrolment after the size of the student body dropped about 10 percent in 2013 from 33,300 students in 2012.
"I am both honored and humbled, as you might imagine, at this opportunity to serve at the university. It's a place I love," said Worthen, 57. "I don't consider myself measuring up to those who preceded me in this, but I take comfort in the fact that this decision was made by those who I have great confidence in," the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
The native of Carbon Country is also the Hugh W. Colton Professor of Law at BYU and a former Fulbright scholar. He clerked for Justice Byron R. White of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Malcolm R. Wilkey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court. He also served as an associate attorney for Jennings, Strouss & Salmon in Phoenix, Fox 13 News reports.
Worthen holds an associate degree from the College of Eastern Utah, where he co-captained the varsity basketball team, and bachelor's and juris doctor degrees from BYU.
Junior Sam Shields is excited about Worthen's appointment as the school's next president.
"I really like President Worthen. He's a great man and he really connects well with young single adults," Shields said.
Another junior, Kyle Condie, is eager to see how the new president will lead the university.
Emilia Williams, a BYU senior, is saddened with Samuelson's scheduled departure. However, Williams said that situations do not remain the same always and they need to chang
