Elizabeth R. Cantwell
17th President of Utah State University
April 12, 2024
WHAT IS AN INVESTITURE?
An investiture is a formal academic ceremony conferring the authority and symbols of high office, which has symbolized the pursuit of knowledge since the Middle Ages. It is held during a new president’s first year in office or at the conclusion of the first year. Today, universities view the investiture ceremony as an opportunity to welcome a new era and celebrate as a community.
ABOUT PRESIDENT ELIZABETH R. CANTWELL
Elizabeth (Betsy) R. Cantwell became Utah State University’s 17th president on August 1, 2023.
President Cantwell plans to strengthen the 135-year USU land-grant mission by creating a modern interpretation that is deeply rooted in the core values of the state of Utah, amplifying our unique identity, and addressing the challenges and opportunities of the present era.
Before coming to USU, she was the senior vice president for research and innovation at the University of Arizona, where she was responsible for an $825 million annual research portfolio; the 1,268-acre UA Tech Park, one of the nation’s premier university research parks; and a research and innovation enterprise that spanned 20 academic colleges with locations across Arizona, 12 university-level centers and institutes, and other major research-related affiliated organizations conducting classified and contractual work.
She also devoted time to student-athlete focused programs and projects, believing that athletics programs have power to help land-grant universities serve the public and raise awareness of the good these institutions do in communities.
Cantwell previously served as Arizona State University’s vice president for research development and CEO of the ASU Research Enterprise. She led an organization of 150 and grew the overall research enterprise at ASU from $435 million to $680 million over three years, and in her CEO role, she grew the applied research entity from no contracts to $15 million in annual awards.
Before her work in university research leadership, she served the U.S. national security mission as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s director for economic development and director for engineering mission strategy, and earlier as the deputy associate director for global security at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she worked with the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and NASA.
Cantwell is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School (MBA, 2003); the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 1992); and the University of Chicago (BA, Human Behavior 1976).
A member of the National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine’s Committee on NASA Critical Workforce, Technology & Infrastructure, Cantwell participated in its most recent Academy Strategic Planning Committee. She has served as the co-chair of the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board and as a member of several National Academies studies in space science, space systems engineering, National Laboratories operations, and advanced manufacturing. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in industrial science and technology. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the managing entity for the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory.
USU HISTORY & LEGACY
ABOUT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act to fund the establishment of a new college in each state and territory. These schools were to promote higher education and practical learning to people of all classes and walks of life, especially rural life. In 1888, the Agricultural College of Utah was founded as the state's land-grant institution.
Though it grew to become Utah State University in 1957, the university has remained true to its roots as an institution dedicated to the land and its people. With the land-grant distinction, USU has the responsibility to "educate the state," and it continues to maintain a presence in every county in Utah. Through academic and research prowess, athletic success, and unparalleled student experience, USU's rich history and traditions color who we are today.
PAST PRESIDENTS OF UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
Jeremiah W. Sanborn
1890 - 1894
Joshua H. Paul
1894 - 1896
Joseph "Jay" M. Tanner
1896 - 1900
William J. Kerr
1900 - 1907
John A. Widstoe
1907 - 1916
Elmer George "E.G." Peterson
1916 - 1945
Franklin S. Harris
1945 - 1950
Louis L. Madsen
1950 - 1953
Henry A. Dixon
1953 - 1954
Daryl Chase
1954 - 1968
Glen L. Taggart
1968 - 1979
Stanford Cazier
1979 - 1992
George H. Emert
1992 - 2000
Kermit L. Hall
2001 - 2005
Stan L. Albrecht
2005 - 2017
Noelle E. Cockett
2017 - 2023