Salvador D. Aceves, an alumnus of the University of San Francisco (USF), has been appointed as the first Latino and the first layperson president of the institution. Aceves, a first-generation college graduate, was chosen to lead the university during a unanimous vote by the USF Board of Trustees. The San Francisco native will take office in August.

Aceves, who had his educational roots at USF, possesses an EdD from the university’s School of Education and a BS in accounting from the School of Management. Furthermore, Aceves is also a holder of a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University. His career in Jesuit higher education commenced at USF where he functioned as an associate professor of accounting in the School of Management and the School of Law, and later became vice provost and chief planning and budget officer.

Prior to his presidential appointment, Aceves had been serving Regis University in Denver as president since 2023, after being its senior vice president and chief financial officer from 2014-22. Before his stint at Regis, he had served as the associate vice president for academic, financial planning, and analysis at Fordham University, coupled with his teaching role at Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business.

Commenting on the historic appointment, USF Board of Trustees Chair, Jack Boland, lauded Aceves’ deep commitment to USF’s Jesuit Catholic mission and Jesuit higher education as a whole. USF Provost, Eileen Fung, was optimistic about the university’s future and looked forward to working with an academically centered and fiscally-minded leader like Aceves.

Set to take office, Aceves, who describes the role as a calling, is eager to work in an environment where the students, faculty, leadership, staff, and the USF community at large, journey together.