USU Announces Janet Q. Lawson Endowed Deanship for College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Utah State University has announced the establishment of the Janet Q. Lawson Endowed Deanship in the newly merged S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, thanks to the support of the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation and the Janet Quinney Lawson Foundation.

The endowment marks a milestone for the university as it brings together the former College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, two of the institution’s most impactful and historic academic units. The newly named college is poised to foster deeper interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen academic programming and broaden its capacity to serve Utah and beyond.

“The S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation and the Janet Quinney Lawson Foundation are thrilled to provide the deanship endowment in the new S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at USU,” said the Very Reverend Frederick Q. Lawson. “It is our hope that this endowed chair will attract the finest candidates to be the next dean.”

This is only the second deanship endowment in Utah State’s history, following the Emma Eccles Jones Endowed Deanship in the College of Education and Human Services. The new endowed position will provide perpetual support for the dean’s strategic priorities, including student scholarships, faculty research, internship programs, fieldwork and community engagement — initiatives that advance USU’s land-grant mission and deepen the college’s statewide impact.

“This extraordinary gift honors a decades-long partnership rooted in shared values — stewardship, education and innovation,” said Utah State University Interim President Alan L. Smith. “The Janet Q. Lawson Endowed Deanship will amplify our ability to recruit exceptional leadership, support student success, and shape the future of agriculture and natural resources in Utah and beyond.”

The Quinney legacy at USU dates back to the partnership between Joe Quinney and then-dean Thad Box, a relationship that has since awarded more than 200 Quinney Scholarships and propelled generations of natural resource professionals into meaningful careers. With the new college and endowed deanship, USU builds on that legacy and forges a powerful path forward.