Longtime University of Utah Honors College Dean and recent President of College of the Atlantic installed at public ceremony with Salt Lake City Mayor Mendenhall
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Westminster University officially marked a new chapter in its 151-year history today with the formal inauguration of its 20th president, Dr. Sylvia Torti.
The public installation ceremony took place outdoors at Richer Commons on Westminster’s campus. The historic event brought together Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, faculty, staff, students, esteemed guests, alumni, and prominent government, community, and higher education leaders to celebrate the university's future.
Dr. Torti—a distinguished ecologist, award-winning author, and veteran academic leader—officially assumed office on August 1, 2026, following a unanimous vote by the university’s Board of Trustees. She previously achieved notable success as Dean of the Honors College at the University of Utah and most recently as President of the College of the Atlantic.
Preston Chiaro, chair of the Westminster Board of Trustees, formally installed Dr. Torti during the ceremony and expressed the board's absolute confidence in her leadership.
"I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Torti to our community," said Chiaro. "We share your passion for the power of education to inspire and empower the next generation, and we have enormous faith in your ability to honor our past and lead us into the future. Dr. Torti’s background as both a scientist and a humanist brings a rare, integrative perspective to leading our campus community into the future."
Chiaro charged Dr. Torti with holding the office with honor, integrity, and excellence, pledging the full support of the trustees as she steps into her new role.
In her inaugural address, Dr. Torti emphasized that Westminster’s combination of disciplinary majors and innovative, open-minded faculty uniquely positions the university to address evolving environmental, social, and economic challenges.
Dr. Torti stated that “Westminster has an unusual advantage: its human scale. We are an intentionally sized university in a growing city with a plurality of cultures, races, religions, and languages.” She went on to say, “Westminster’s human scale makes it difficult to simply scroll past and ignore what is uncomfortable. Here, students practice living and learning in community, and a community depends upon listening.”
Dr. Torti addressed the ongoing challenges Westminster students will face and asserted the strengths they will graduate with as a result of sustained relationships with faculty and staff, undergraduate research success, and professional experience. She stated that students’ professional and personal growth prepares them for their first job, as well as for navigating and succeeding in a complex world.
"At Westminster, we are committed to futures thinking and hold an unwavering belief in the power of human intelligence," Dr. Torti added. "We will send our students into the world, beyond the Wasatch Front, with the confidence and ability to look closely, to listen well, and then do something useful.”
