October 2022
Taylor R. Randall was selected by the Utah Board of Higher Education as the 17th president of the University of Utah in August 2021. An award-winning educator, innovative leader, and champion of higher education, he comes to the position with more than two decades of experience at the U, serving as both dean of and an accounting professor in the David Eccles School of Business. He is the first alumnus since 1973 to serve as president.
Randall began his tenure building on the momentum established by his predecessors, declaring a bold vision to make the U a top 10 public university with unsurpassed societal impact. His strategy outlines three objectives: to inspire a new generation of students by revolutionizing the student experience, innovate and generate discoveries that change the world, and impact the lives of all 3.3 million Utahns. The vision includes goals to increase enrollment to 40,000 students and secure $1 billion in research funding annually.
Since his inauguration in March of 2022, Randall has achieved significant milestones on strategic initiatives:
- Embarked on a statewide tour and signed a new compact with the state of Utah to rededicate the U’s role as the state’s flagship university, pledging six commitments to lead, partner, educate, research, provide health care, and serve
- Broke ground on the Impact and Prosperity Epicenter and Ivory House to increase student housing and build living-learning communities
- Hired a Chief Experience Officer to help revolutionize the student experience
- Launched the Wilkes Center for Policy and Climate to leverage the U’s expertise in combatting climate change
- Initiated plans for the John and Marcia Price Computer Science Building to support the program’s growth and meet surging demands for computer science graduates
- Saw research grants grow to $686 million
- Oversaw the merger of the College of Mines and Earth Sciences with the College of Science, creating a much stronger base for science and mathematics education
- Announced the Climate Change Action Plan to move the U’s net-zero emissions from 2050 to 2040
- Launched the West Valley initiative, a hospital and outpatient health center that offers world-class and culturally appropriate care alongside an academic campus to support education and career pathways
- Launched the Stena Center for Financial Technology, designed to accelerate financial technology innovation and propel the fintech industry forward and cement Utah as a center of excellence
In his 20-plus years at the university, Randall has become known as a dynamic leader who drives growth and innovation. During his tenure as dean of the David Eccles School of Business (DESB) from 2009-2021, the school grew five-fold and now holds top 10 entrepreneurship rankings for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Seven of the school’s programs are currently ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Under his leadership, the business school also expanded experiential learning opportunities and its societal impact with the creation of the Goff Strategic Leadership Center, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, the Marriner S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis, and the Sorenson Impact Center.
Randall began his career at the U as a professor of accounting from 1999-2009. He received awards for the best teacher in the MBA, Executive MBA, and undergraduate programs, as well as the Brady Superior Teaching Award. His professional experience includes consulting positions with major companies such as General Motors, Dupont, and O.C. Tanner. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1990 with honors in accounting and earned an MBA and a doctorate in operations and information management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Randall and his wife, Janet, have four children, one daughter-in-law, and one son-in-law. He loves spending family time playing games, relaxing in the backyard, mountain biking, road biking, golfing, and all things sports-related.
Introductory Bio (written to be read aloud at events)
Taylor Randall is the 17th president of the University of Utah, the state’s flagship institution of higher education. He joined the U in 1998 as a professor of accounting and led the nationally ranked David Eccles School of Business for 12 years prior to his appointment as the president in 2021.
The first alum in 50 years to hold this position, President Randall has an infectious energy and passion for his alma mater. He has set a bold goal for the University of Utah to become a top 10 public university with unsurpassed societal impact. He believes the U can revolutionize the student experience, change lives through research, and have an impact on all 3.4 million Utahns.
Some of the highlights of his tenure thus far include re-pledging the U’s commitment to serve the state of Utah, opening centers for climate policy and fintech investment, announcing several new living-learning housing projects, hiring the U’s first chief experience officer, and launching plans for a new campus and hospital in West Valley.
President Randall is proud to lead a university that is a top-tier research institution, the state’s largest employer, a member of the Association of American Universities, and home to University of Utah Health, the only academic medical center in the state of Utah. In short, you won’t meet a bigger fan of the University of Utah than Taylor Randall. He has big plans for this place, and he intends to make them happen.