Idaho State Board of Education names Dr. David W. Hahn as finalist to serve as 8th President of Boise State University

"After a rigorous and thorough national search, I am confident the State Board has identified the right leader for this moment at Boise State," said David Turnbull, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee and member of the Idaho State Board of Education. "Dr. Hahn brings exceptional credentials as someone who has consistently built institutions that are stronger and more innovative than when he arrived. Boise State and the state of Idaho are well-served by this selection."

The search was conducted by the Idaho State Board of Education with support from a committee representing faculty, staff, alumni, university foundation, and key members of Idaho's business and civic community. The search committee solicited feedback from students, employees, alumni, community leaders, and other stakeholders to help identify leadership priorities and institutional needs before submitting its recommendation to the Board.

"The search committee conducted an intensive process, and Dr. Hahn stood out at every stage, not just for his record of achievement, but for the clarity of his vision and his genuine curiosity about Idaho," said Kurt Liebich, Vice Chair of the Presidential Search Committee and President of the Idaho State Board of Education. "He asked the right questions. He listened carefully. This is a leader who will invest the time to understand Boise State before he prescribes answers, and that matters enormously to a university community that has earned the right to be heard."

In accepting the candidacy, Dr. Hahn expressed deep enthusiasm for the opportunity to lead Boise State and join the Idaho community.

"I want to thank the Idaho Board of Education and the Presidential Search Committee for their efforts throughout the search process, their commitment to education in the State of Idaho and to Boise State University is unwavering and helped inspire my own commitment throughout the search process."

"The 'where' was always important to my wife and I as we have grown to love the spirit of the west, so the beauty and spirit of Idaho and the Mountain West, the city of Boise, and the overall positive trajectory of Idaho were all factors beyond the University itself. We look forward to joining the community and embracing the many offerings in Boise and across the state."

"Boise State University has exceptional momentum and my pledge is to continue guiding our contributions in all aspects, from a strong commitment to delivering a high-value and affordable education to our students, innovating in support of state, regional and national research needs, partnering with the communities and industries of Idaho, fostering the winning culture of Bronco Athletics, while successfully navigating the changing landscape of higher education. This all starts with people and throughout my interactions, I have seen a group fully dedicated to the success of Boise State University and I am honored to join the team," said Dr. Hahn.

Dr. Hahn has spent more than three decades at the center of American engineering education, as a researcher, faculty member, a department chair, and a college dean. He is an engineer who has built his career around problems that matter: how energy moves and can be harnessed more cleanly, how lasers can be used to detect and treat disease, how to design systems that hold up under pressure.

Before moving into academic administration, he worked at Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, giving him a practical grounding in how research moves from the university into the world. He has authored more than 130 journal publications, holds 12 U.S. patents, and is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Optica, and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy.

Hahn's leadership has emphasized student success, experiential learning, research excellence, and partnerships that align higher education with state and national priorities. At Arizona, he has advanced major initiatives in areas including semiconductor workforce development, national security, hypersonics, mining and critical minerals, cancer engineering, quantum networks, software engineering, and interdisciplinary education including new programs with the College of Humanities and the Eller College of Management.

"David Hahn has led the College of Engineering with a clear commitment to student success and research of the highest caliber," said University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella. "He has been an instrumental colleague, fostering a mindset of innovation that will leave a lasting impact on our faculty and students. While we will miss his contributions to the U of A, we are proud to see a Wildcat leader selected to serve as the next president of Boise State University. We wish him continued success in this next chapter."

In accordance with Idaho state law, Dr. Hahn has been named as the sole finalist for the position, officially beginning a 10-business-day period prior to a formal vote by the Idaho State Board of Education. Sole finalist screening feedback should be sent to the Board via email at [email protected].

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