Michael K. Young, former President of the University of Washington, a Brigham Young alumnus and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was announced President of Texas A&M University yesterday.

“[We identified] the very best leader we could have for this important time in the history of Texas A&M,” said Phil Adams, chairman of the Board of Regents. “Mike Young’s proven record at the head of major centers of learning made him a clear choice.”

Young began his service as President of the University of Washington in July 2011. Under his leadership there, the university was able to maintain economic stability, in the face of significant cuts in state funding, and retained its “AAA – Stable” rating.

A native of California, Young served a mission in Japan and later received a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Japanese from Brigham Young University. He received a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School, where he served on the “Harvard Law Review” and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Following graduation from Harvard, he served as a law clerk to the late Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. He spent 20 years at Columbia University Law School as Fuyo Professor of Japanese Law, teaching, researching international law and human rights, and serving as founder and director of the Centers for Japanese and Korean Legal Studies.

Young, an active Mormon, is the great-great-great-grandson of Brigham Young’s brother.