LOGAN, Utah, Oct. 27, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah State University’s next president will be its current provost and executive vice president, Noelle Cockett.
Representatives from the Board of Regents for the Utah System of Higher Education announced on Wednesday that Cockett had been selected from among four finalists for the position.
“I am deeply humbled and greatly honored to be named as the 16th president of Utah State University by the Utah Board of Regents,” said Cockett, in a statement released by USU.
“Today, I pledge to all in the USU community that as president I will tirelessly devote my skills, experience and energy to keeping this institution true to its land grant mission, to doing everything possible to increase its success and impact and ensure that it flourishes and continues its tradition of excellence in the years to come.”
Before becoming provost in 2013, Cockett served as USU as vice president for Extension and Agriculture from 2006 to 2013; dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences from 2002 to 2013; and director of the Utah Agriculture Experiment Station from 2009 to 2013. Cockett received master’s and doctorate degrees in animal genetics from Oregon State University.
Cockett replaces Stan L. Albrecht, who served as Utah State’s 15th president and announced his retirement earlier this year. He will continue to serve until Cockett is in place.
Cockett, USU’s first female president, has extensive research experience that includes five years as a research geneticist at the United States Department of Agriculture. She has built a career in genetic research, specializing in molecular genetics and identifying genetic markers. Cockett is known for being a part of the team that successfully sequenced the sheep genome.
Dave Buhler, Utah Commissioner of Highter Education, said Cockett will be a good fit for Utah’s land-grant university.
“I am confident in President Cockett’s ability to effectively lead Utah State University and that she is the right president to build on the extraordinary accomplishments of President Albrecht over the past decade,” he said.
Albrecht’s tenure was highlighted by many successes, including increased access for students across the state through growth in the regional campus system and a highly successful, first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign that yielded more than a half billion dollars.
Utah State University has an enrollment of approximately 29,000 students, a workforce of more than 3,000 faculty and staff, and institutional funding of $554 million.
