By Courtney Tanner | The Salt Lake Tribune | Photo by Jeremy Harmon | The Salt Lake Tribune

The last time it was announced that Mary Beckerle would be leaving the Huntsman Cancer Institute, there was uproar.

That came in 2017 when then-leaders of the University of Utah — where the institute operates — made the controversial decision to abruptly fire Beckerle, catapulting the Salt Lake City school into national headlines. Faculty protested in anger. And the Huntsman family that founded and funds the renowned center called the situation a “power grab” and demanded that Beckerle be reinstated.

After a week, the U. acquiesced. Beckerle returned as CEO of the institute, a post the beloved researcher has otherwise steadily held since 2006.

That tenure will now come to an end this fall. But this time, it’s her choice.

On Wednesday, the Huntsman Cancer Institute and Beckerle jointly announced that she will formally step down as the top boss in September. That was met with praise for the work she’s done and the milestones she’s accomplished — and only a little uproar from those sad to see her go.

“For the past 20 years, Dr. Mary Beckerle has been at the forefront of building Huntsman Cancer Institute into one of the premier cancer research and clinical care institutes in the world,” said Peter Huntsman, chairman and CEO of Huntsman Cancer Foundation that supports the center, in a statement.

Read more at SLTrib.com.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.