Idaho Board of Education announces finalist for Boise State president
The finalist to take over the job of president at Boise State University is David Hahn, who is currently dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona.
The announcement comes about a year after former President Marlene Tromp left the university last summer for a position at the University of Vermont.
Board of Education member David Turnbull, who chaired the presidential search committee, said Tuesday the decision was shaped by feedback from stakeholders and community members, and praised Hahn for his previous work.
“At Boise State, there’s a belief that access and excellence are not intention, that a university can open its doors wider and still reach higher, that students from rural Idaho, first-generation college students, working adults looking to change careers, all of them deserve a rigorous, transformative education that connects directly to the real economy and real opportunities,” said Turnbull. “That belief is not just a strategic plan, it’s a moral commitment of this board. Dr. Hahn has lived that commitment.”
An open forum will be held Wednesday to give the campus community the chance to meet Hahn. Hahn will also have meetings with stakeholders over the next few days. The announcement started the required 10-day public review period.
Hahn said he was drawn to Boise State’s “momentum” in many areas, including education, research, community engagement and athletics.
“Throughout my 28-year career, I remain grounded in all aspects of education, and I really tried to help shape innovative research that benefits the community, the state and the nation at a time when we need innovation in this country,” he said. “And I bring that commitment to Boise State.”
Hahn said the education landscape is changing, and praised Boise State’s commitment to value, affordability and student success.
President search resumed after bill
Boise State has had a long road to finding its next president. In October, the search committee paused its president search.
In March, it announced it would restart the search after the Legislature passed a law that changed some of the requirements surrounding university president searches. Under the law, which took effect immediately after the governor signed it, universities will only have to disclose the name of the sole finalist for president to the public, instead of the five top candidates.
The board said it wanted to name the next president in time for the start of fall semester. The presidential search committee included representatives from the Board of Education, a Boise State faculty member, and an employee, as well as alumni who now helm large companies.
Turnbull said Tuesday that he recognized this has been a long process, but that the decision deserved to be made carefully and deliberately.
Hahn has a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Louisiana State University and began his career as a researcher with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Before joining the University of Arizona, Hahn worked as the chair of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Florida. In Florida, Turnbull said, Hahn made a deliberate effort to increase the number of women in engineering.
Turnbull said Idaho and the Treasure Valley are growing at a rapid rate, and the businesses and industries coming to the area need a workforce that is “educated, skilled and ready.”
“This board has made workforce development a central priority and underlines our conviction that connecting education to careers is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” he said. “Dr. Hahn understands this instinctively. His entire career has been oriented around building bridges between the university and the broader world, between what students learn and what employers need, between research and application, between the academy and the community.”
This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 8:39 AM.
