President Elizabeth Cantwell Sends Message of Gratitude to Aggie Community

Thank You to the USU Community

Dear Aggie Community,

As you have likely already heard, I will be stepping down as Utah State University’s president in the next few months in time to join Washington State University as their president on April 1.

Utah State University has been a place full of incredible partners and amazing students. There are few opportunities that could lure me away from this community and university. Washington State University is that opportunity. I have had a lifetime of connections to WSUthrough close colleagues and research collaborators, and recently, my family's relationship to the university deepened when my daughter enrolled in a WSU graduate program.

It has been an honor to work alongside such talented and dedicated faculty and staff. I am especially proud of USU’s leadership council, the vice presidents and deans—not to mention the students, faculty and staff—who devote their time, expertise, and their very all to this outstanding institution. 

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I was given over the last 18 months to lead USU’s efforts to reorganize the academic enterprise, initiate the statewide enterprise redesign, launch a $125M campaign within our Athletics Enterprise, and bolster record-breaking expenditures in our Research Enterprise. I know we were only getting started, but our collective achievements will better position Utah State to fulfill its R1, public service, and land-grant mission far into the future.

The Utah State community, with its rich history and strong foundation across the state, is truly something special. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of this remarkable journey, even if only for a short time! I’m confident that USU’s leadership team will expertly steer the institution forward and ensure USU’s position as a highly regarded and successful modern land-grant university.

Best regards,

Elizabeth R. Cantwell President