The Board of Regents of Trinity International University (TIU) has unanimously appointed Eric Halvorson, current Dean of Trinity Law School, as President of the University, effective January 27, 2026. Halvorson will continue to serve as Dean of Trinity Law School.
Halvorson previously served as Dean of Trinity Law School from 2016 to 2019 and returned to that role in 2022. He succeeds Interim President Dr. David W. Pao, who led the University during a period of institutional transition, including the transition of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) to Trinity Western University (TWU) in Langley, British Columbia. Dr. Pao will continue to serve as Dean of TEDS at TWU.
In addition to his responsibilities at Trinity Law School, Halvorson will oversee TIU’s expanding online educational programs offered in affiliation with TWU, as well as the Biblical Studies degree program serving inmates at Fox Lake Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.
“I am deeply honored to serve as TIU’s next president,” Halvorson said. “I am grateful to the Board of Regents for the confidence they have placed in me at a pivotal moment for TIU and for Christian higher education. I am also thankful for Interim President David Pao’s steady and faithful leadership during this past year.”
“Dr. Pao assumed the presidency during a consequential period for the University and guided the institution with wisdom and stability through a significant transition,” said Neil Nyberg, Chair of the TIU Board of Regents. “We are deeply grateful for his dedicated and selfless service.”
Nyberg added, “Eric Halvorson brings a long record of principled leadership and sound judgment. The Board is confident in his ability to lead TIU with integrity and purpose as the University moves forward.”
A graduate of Duke University School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the Duke Law Journal, Halvorson brings extensive experience in law, finance, and higher education. A Certified Public Accountant, he practiced corporate law as a partner in a large Midwestern law firm, served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer of two publicly held companies, and has served on the boards of five publicly held companies.
In 2000, Halvorson accepted an appointment as Executive in Residence at Pepperdine University’s Seaver College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, where he taught courses in law, accounting, finance, ethics, and business. He later served for five years as an adjunct faculty member at Pepperdine Law School, where he received the David McKibben Award for Teaching Excellence.