USF Inaugurates Salvador D. Aceves As 29th President

“After having been away for almost 15 years, there is a deep and unmistakable joy in coming back home,” said Aceves, USF’s first lay president and first Latino president.

“As I walk familiar paths and places, I feel the energy of a community alive with purpose. Coming home is more than a return to a place; it is a return to a spirit, a mission, and a family that welcomes you as you are. It is the joy of remembering who I have been, and the excitement of imagining who I am still called to become.”

Aceves was joined by his wife, Carol Aceves MA ’11, and by family and friends. He was welcomed to his new role by alumni, including Joseph E. Marshall ’68.

“You are the first lay president, first Latino, and first alum in over a century — that’s a lot of firsts,” Marshall said.

Aceves and Marshall escorted Pelosi into St. Ignatius for the ceremony. When Pelosi accidentally called the new president “Father Aceves,” she laughed and many at the ceremony joined her.

“Salvador Aceves is an ideal leader to take the helm of USF, not only as a Latino but as a graduate himself. He is at home here,” Pelosi said.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Aceves is the son of immigrants and is a first-generation college graduate. He attended USF and earned a BS in accounting from the School of Management and an EdD from the School of Education. He also holds a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University. His career in Jesuit higher education also began at USF: He was an associate professor of accounting in the School of Management and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Law, and then served as vice provost and chief planning and budget officer.

Most recently, Aceves served since 2023 as president of Regis University in Denver, and as its senior vice president and chief financial officer from 2014–22. Before that, he was the associate vice president for academic, financial planning, and analysis at Fordham University, while also teaching as an associate professor at Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business. Earlier in his career, he worked at Price Waterhouse and Citicorp.

Aceves said he is committed to supporting USF’s mission.

“Our task is not only to prepare professionals but to guide them to listen deeply, think critically, live gratefully, and become people for and with others in the service of humanity.”

Missed the inauguration? Watch a recording of the ceremony.