Incoming President Aceves is the first lay person and first Latino to be president in the university's 170-year history.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Board of Trustees of the University of San Francisco (USF) has elected Salvador D. Aceves '83, EdD '95 as the university's 29th president. Incoming President Aceves is the first lay person and first Latino to be president in the university's 170-year history. He will begin his term in August.
Born and raised in San Francisco, the son of immigrants, and a first-generation college graduate, incoming President Aceves earned an undergraduate accounting degree from USF in 1983, as well as a doctorate in education in 1995. He is married to Carol Aceves, also a USF graduate, who holds a master's degree from the School of Education.
"I have been shaped by nearly four decades in Jesuit Catholic education — years spent teaching, leading, and walking alongside students, faculty, and communities in the shared pursuit of truth, justice, and kindness," incoming President Aceves said. "That journey began at USF. This is my school. USF is where I studied, where I was formed intellectually and spiritually, and where I first committed to leading a life of service with and for others."
Most recently, incoming President Aceves has served as president of Regis University in Denver, since 2023, where he was previously senior vice president and chief financial officer from 2014-22. Prior to his time at Regis, Aceves was associate vice president, Office of the Provost at Fordham University in New York City from 2011-14.
"This is a historic moment for USF," said USF Board of Trustees Chair Jack Boland '78. "He is deeply committed to USF's Jesuit Catholic mission, the Ignatian vision of service to the world, and Jesuit higher education as a whole."
Incoming President Aceves formerly served as a USF faculty member, teaching accounting in the School of Management and the School of Law. He also served as associate dean for graduate programs from 2000-03, associate dean for academic affairs from 2003-05, and vice provost in the office of academic affairs from 2005-11.
"I believe that we have found a mission-driven, academically centered, and fiscally minded leader in Dr. Salvador Aceves, who also cares deeply for all people at the university community," said USF Provost Eileen Fung. "As provost, I look forward to working with him, especially supporting his vision and strengthening our academic enterprise."
The national search for USF's new president began in January 2025. USF's Board of Trustees appointed a Presidential Search Committee (PSC) to conduct the search for the next president. It was led by USF Board of Trustees members John F. Nicolai '71 and Jeff Silk '87. A Search Advisory Committee (SAC) was established to facilitate feedback and provide input to the PSC. The SAC was led by co-chairs Mary Del Santo, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, and Eileen Fung, USF vice president of academic affairs and provost, and included 17 members of the USF community representing faculty, librarians, staff, students, alumni, and the university's Jesuit community.
Presidential Search Committee Co-Chair Nicolai said, "I have known Salvador for over 30 years. He is the right person at this opportune moment to lead USF forward while focusing on academic excellence and financial sustainability."
Incoming President Aceves succeeds Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J., who served as USF's president from 2014-2024. John Fitzgibbons, S.J., has been serving as interim president since January of this year.
About the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco is a private, Jesuit Catholic university that reflects the diversity, optimism, and opportunities of the city that surrounds it. USF offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, law, education, and nursing and health professions. At USF, each course is an intimate learning community in which top professors encourage students to turn learning into positive action, so the students graduate equipped to do well in the world — and inspired to change it for the better. For more information, visit usfca.edu.
Media Contact
Mary McInerney, University of San Francisco, (510) 846-1242, [email protected], https://www.usfca.edu/
Kellie Samson, University of San Francisco, (415) 601-1915, [email protected], https://www.usfca.edu/
SOURCE University of San Francisco
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