Michael T. Benson

Michael Taft Benson (born February 28, 1965) is an American academic administrator serving as the president and professor of history at West Virginia University. He previously served as president of Coastal Carolina University, Eastern Kentucky University, Southern Utah University, and Snow College, and as special assistant to the president at the University of Utah. He was appointed visiting professor within the Department of the History of Science and Technology at Johns Hopkins University in January 2020. On February 24, 2025, it was announced that he would become the 27th president of West Virginia University, which took effect July 15, 2025.