Meet BYU's new president, C. Shane Reese

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced Tuesday that C. Shane Reese would be taking over as president of the Church-owned Brigham Young University.

Reese has served as BYU’s academic vice president since 2019. From 2017-2019 he was dean of College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and has been a member of BYU faculty since 2001.

Reese attended BYU in the 1990s and earned a bachelor's and master’s degree in statistics before moving on to Texas A&M University for his doctoral degree.

Career at a Glance

• Undergraduate, graduate degrees at BYU in statistics
• Doctoral degree at Texas A&M
• BYU faculty member, 2001 to 2017
• Dean of College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, 2017-2019
• Academic Vice President , 2019-2023
• University president, 2023

As academic vice president, Reese defended BYU’s decision to cancel gender-affirming voice therapy.

Reese’s love for statistics and the push towards the use of analytics in sports has afforded him the opportunity to consult with various professional sports teams including the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. His appointment comes at a major crossroad for the university’s sports program as it joins the Big 12 Conference.

Reese is married to Wendy Wood, the couple have three children who are either graduates or current BYU students.

History of BYU Presidents:

1. Warren N. Dusenberry, 1876
   
2. Karl G. Maeser, 1876-1892
3. Benjamin Cluff, 1892-1903
   
4. George H. Brimhall, 1903-1921
   
5. Franklin S. Harris, 1921-1945
   
6. Howard S. McDonald, 1945-1949
   
7. Ernest L. Wilkinson, 1951-1971
   
8. Dallin H. Oaks, 1971-1980
   
9. Jeffrey R. Holland, 1980-1989
   
10. Rex E. Lee, 1989-1995
    
11. Merrill J. Bateman, 1995-2003
12. Cecil O. Samuelson, 2003-2014
    
13. Kevin J. Worthen, 2014-2023
    
14. C. Shane Reese, 2023-