Tyler Shumway, a senior at the University of Utah studying Quantitative Analysis of Markets and Organizations, is the newest student member of the Utah Board of Higher Education for the 2026-27 academic year.
Governor Spencer Cox selected Shumway for the role, and he was sworn in during the September 9 Board meeting to represent students at all 16 Utah System of Higher Education institutions. He brings strong student leadership, academic, and public policy experience to the Board.
Shumway is excited to represent students across Utah’s public colleges and universities, and is particularly interested in exploring ways the System can better support teaching and learning, strengthen alignment between higher education and the workforce, and ensure that student perspectives and success remain central to the Board’s work.
This year, Shumway was one of 55 students selected as a Harry S. Truman Scholar, a prestigious national scholarship recognizing undergraduate students who demonstrate leadership and academic excellence and are committed to public service and policy. He’s also an Eccles Scholar and served as a legislator in the University of Utah’s student government.
Shumway spent two summers as a business analyst intern with Cicero Group and served as a legislative intern in Congressman Blake Moore’s office. He also founded and operated a residential painting company, which he later sold before serving a two-year volunteer religious mission in Tanzania, where he became fluent in Swahili.
Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, Shumway is an endurance athlete who has completed 18 marathons and a half Ironman. He has also summited Mount Kilimanjaro.