New acting president appointed for Utah Valley University

Context: Tuminez announced in January that she would leave her position as head of the state's largest university after seven years at the helm.

• She has said the past year had been especially challenging, between Kirk's killing and the death of her husband, Jeffrey Tolk, last February at the age of 61.

Driving the news: The Utah Board of Higher Education appointed Vaught to the temporary position on Tuesday, with a May 1 start date.

• The search for the school's next permanent president is underway.

Catch up quick: Tuminez, a former Microsoft executive who was raised in the Philippines, became the school's first female president in 2018.

What we're watching: The school has faced immense criticism over the security presence in place when Kirk held a rally in the school's courtyard, where he was killed — and its next leader will inherit that pressure.

• Following Kirk's death, the university announced in September that it would seek a "comprehensive independent review with an external organization."
• That review is expected to wrap up before this summer, Utah News Dispatch reported.