The Utah Board of Higher Education has named a 19-member committee to conduct a national search for the next president of Utah State University.
The search committee will be co-chaired by Utah Board of Higher Education member Richard Wheeler and Utah State University Board of Trustees Chair Kent Alder. It is comprised of representatives from the Board of Higher Education, trustees and institutional stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, administration, alumni and community members. A national search firm has been retained to aid in the process.
“Utah State University is recognized locally and nationally for its groundbreaking research and innovation,” said Wheeler, committee co-chair. “We have selected exceptional individuals with strong ties to USU to conduct the search for the university’s next president. We are deeply thankful for the time they will offer to the search process and look forward to sharing our list of finalists with the Board of Higher Education.”
“Utah State is on a tremendous trajectory, having just this year celebrated a new veterinary medicine college, a new campus in Moab, and the largest class of incoming first-year students ever,” said Kent Alder, chair of the USU Board of Trustees. “I’m excited we have a diverse committee, which includes many perspectives, to identify a leader who will guide USU into its next phase of excellence.”
Below is a complete list of the Utah State University Presidential Search Committee members:
| Board of Higher Education | |
| Richard (Rick) Wheeler | Board member and Search Committee Co-Chair |
| Scott Theurer | Board member |
| Utah State University Board of Trustees | |
| Kent Alder | Chair and Search Committee Co-Chair |
| Gina Gagon | Trustee |
| Wayne Niederhauser | Trustee |
| Utah State University Administration, Faculty and Staff | |
| Lisa M. Berreau | Vice President, Office of Research |
| John Ferguson | Senior Lecturer and Faculty Senate President |
| Christy Glass | Professor of Sociology |
| Alan L. Smith | Dean, Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services |
| Kristian J. Olsen | Associate Vice President, USU Blanding |
| Kelly Kopp | Director, Center for Water Efficient Landscaping; Professor; Extension Specialist |
| Utah State University Student | |
| Clara Alder | USU Student Body President; Utah Student Association (USA) President |
| Community/Alumni Representatives | |
| Ronald W. Jibson | Retired President and CEO, Questar Corporation |
| Douglas Fiefia | USU Foundation Board Member |
| Jim Laub | CEO, Cache Valley Electric |
| Ernesto López | Logan Municipal Council; Director of Online Programs, USU Extension |
| Sian Smith | Director of Alumni Engagement, USU |
| Marilyn Cuch | Director, Undergraduate Secondary Teacher Education Program and Senior Lecturer, USU Uintah Basin |
In the near future, the Presidential Search Committee will host public forums to obtain input from the USU community and the general public on the presidential search. The committee’s duties will include approving a position announcement, calling for nominations and applications with the assistance of a national search firm, screening applicants, and recommending three to five finalists to the Board of Higher Education. It is anticipated that a new president will be selected by the summer of 2023.
For more information about the Utah State University presidential search, visit usu.edu/president-search/.
Suggestions and/or comments regarding the search process can be sent to usupresidentialsearch@ushe.edu.
