Southwest University announces new president

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Southwest University announced a new president on Wednesday. Jeremy Burciaga will step up from his role as vice president of academic affairs.

Burciaga told ABC-7 he has been with SU for 18 years. He started his position as vice president in January 2021.

"I was able to grow from a, from a faculty member all the way up to administration," he said.

He graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a master's in public administration.

"This is an incredible team. I have an incredible team, and I'm truly blessed that I have this team to move forward," Burciaga said during a ceremony announcing his promotion.

According to SU CEO Benjamin Arriola, Burciaga will join a wave of new degrees coming to SU in 2027, including bachelor's degrees in criminal justice and cybersecurity.

"These are two of the leading fields in our community that there's a need for enrichment. For new technologies, new education, and new experiences," Arriola said.

"The reality is education needs to always be pushed forward, and bringing in new leadership with new vision, new excitement, and new possibilities is just going to increase our outcomes for our students and our successes with them," said Arriola.

In addition to new degrees, Burciaga said SU is looking to expand and open a new location in Northeast and West El Paso.

"I'm truly honored to be a part of this legacy to show El Paso who I am and what I could do and present these opportunities for myself and for the students of Southwest University and our faculty and staff," he said.