Mindy Benson Is the First Woman President of Southern Utah University in Cedar City

The Utah Board of Higher Education selected Mindy Benson as the seventeenth president of Southern Utah University in Cedar City. She has been serving as interim president for the past year. She is the first woman to lead the university since its founding in 1897.

Southern Utah University enrolls more than 11,000 undergraduate students and about 1,300 graduate students, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 60 percent of the undergraduate student body.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to be selected by the Utah Board of Higher Education as the next president of Southern Utah University,” President Benson said. “I’m thrilled to serve in this leadership role and continue working with our extraordinary faculty, staff, students, community and alumni. SUU is a remarkable place built on 125 years of transformative educational experiences and community partnership. I’m so grateful to those who came before and am excited to be a part of SUU’s bright future.”

Before assuming the role of interim president last year, Benson served as vice president of alumni and community relations at Southern Utah University for eight years. Earlier, she served as executive director of alumni relations and special events and director of student activities at the university.

President Benson holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in professional education from Southern Utah University.