Higher Ed Utah

SALT LAKE CITY–The Utah Student Association has narrowed the applicants for the 2010-11 student member of the Utah State Board of Regents position to three finalists.

Sarah Day, Spencer Lee and David Smith were selected by the state’s student body leaders as finalists. Their names and qualifications have been forwarded to Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert, who will make the final selection.

“All three finalists have been heavily involved in student government at their schools and in supporting higher education at the state legislature,” said Tayler Clough, executive vice president of the Utah Student Association and former University of Utah student body president. “Whoever is chosen will do a great job as the next student regent.”

Day is a political science student at the University of Utah who previously attended Salt Lake Community College. She has been active in school and state politics, serving as a state delegate for the Utah Republican Party, as well as the director of governmental relations for the Associated Students of the University of Utah. After graduation, she plans on working in politics at the state or national level.

Lee is a history student at Utah State University. He has served as the executive vice president in USU’s student government, as well as a member of the USU new student orientation staff. Lee also has been active in the community, spending time as a student liaison to the Logan City Council and Cache Valley Transit Department while at USU.

Smith graduated from Utah Valley University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in business management, and is currently enrolled in the econometrics master’s degree program at the University of Utah. At UVU, he served in several student government positions, including time as a student senator and the vice president of academics. He also has five years of experience as a manager at Best Buy.

The new student regent will replace Jeffrey Kinsel, a student at Southern Utah University who served in the role for the 2009-10 school year.

The student regent position, which was created in 1977, is a full voting member of the State Board of Regents who serves a one-year term. To apply, candidates must be a student at a public institution of higher education in Utah for the year in which they serve.

Visit higheredutah.org for more news about the Utah System of Higher Education.