FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2025
Regents appoint Dr. Taylor Kriley interim president of Emporia State
(Topeka, Kan.) – This week, the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) voted to appoint Dr. Taylor Kriley as interim president of Emporia State University (ESU). Dr. Kriley will serve in the interim president role until Dr. Matthew Baker assumes the permanent role during the spring 2026 semester.
“The Regents are grateful that Dr. Kriley has agreed to serve as the interim president of Emporia State University,” said Kansas Board of Regents Chair Blake Benson. “Dr. Kriley is a graduate of Emporia State who cares deeply about the university and the students it serves. We are thankful for her leadership during this period of transition.”
Dr. Kriley has been serving as Executive Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success at ESU since 2024. She has graduate and undergraduate degrees in School Counseling and Communication with a minor in Leadership Studies from ESU and a doctorate in leadership in higher education from Baker University.
Dr. Kriley serves as interim following the retirement of the 18th President of Emporia State Ken Hush. The Board voted to appoint Dr. Baker as the 19th President at a meeting in Emporia on December 11.
For more information, please contact Matt Keith at
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About the Kansas Board of Regents
The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents is the governing board of the state’s six universities and the statewide coordinating board for the state’s 32 public higher education institutions (six state universities, one municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges). In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, high school equivalency, and career and technical education programs. Private proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions are authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents to operate in Kansas.
Visit the Kansas Board of Regents online at www.kansasregents.org.