David Hahn has been hired as the new president of Boise State University, effective immediately. The State Board of Education made the decision in a unanimous voice vote on Wednesday afternoon.
Background and Experience
Hahn comes to Boise State from the University of Arizona, where he served as the dean of the College of Engineering. He has a research background and a high-tech focus, which he plans to bring to his new role. Hahn has also pledged to help Boise State grow its $70 million-a-year research portfolio and achieve top-tier R1 research status.
Hahn’s hire came after a long and uneven search process, which was stalled in October due to some qualified candidates not wanting to participate in a public process. The 2026 Legislature responded with a law that made the presidential search an almost entirely closed process, allowing the search committee and the State Board to privately screen applicants and publicly name only one finalist, which turned out to be Hahn.
Salary and Comparison
Hahn will earn $480,000 a year, the highest presidential salary in Idaho and a slight increase for the Boise State job. This is compared to the salaries of other university presidents in the state, such as University of Idaho President C. Scott Green, who earns $479,192, and Idaho State University President Robert Wagner, who earns $420,000.
Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.
