A Filipina has been named the seventh president of Utah Valley University (UVU), and its first female president.

Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez, who will be taking over the position this fall, will be succeeding Matthew S. Holland, UVU's president since 2009.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Tuminez is currently the Regional Director for Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs in Southeast Asia for Microsoft.

"Dr. Tuminez has proven to be a dynamic leader across academic, nonprofit, public policy, and corporate sectors. Throughout her storied career, she has focused on bridging gaps in education and opportunity to make a difference in people's lives, which seamlessly aligns with UVU's institutional mission and core themes," Daniel W. Campbell, chair of UVU's Board of Regents, said in a statement.

"Dr. Tuminez’s experience, vision, and dedication to student success will ensure that UVU continues to thrive in the years ahead," he added.

Prior to her selection as university president, Tuminez was the Vice Dean of Research and Assistant Dean of Executive Education at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

She also served as senior consultant to the U.S. Institute of Peace, Director of Research at AIG Global Investment, and program officer at Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Tuminez, likewise, ran the Moscow office of the Harvard Project on Strengthening Democratic Institutions.

In an interview on Deseret News, Tuminez said she was raised in the slums in the Philippines.

"I was raised in the slums of the Philippines and I was 5 years old when Catholic nuns offered me and my siblings a chance to go to school. So that changed the entire trajectory of my life, and that's what makes it so exciting for me to be in a university like UVU," she was quoted as saying.

Tuminez holds a Bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, a Master’s Degree from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.