(Pullman, WA) Dozens of members of the Washington State University community were on hand Thursday to welcome Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell as the institution’s next president.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be here,” Cantwell told the crowd upon being named WSU’s next president. “And I’m humbled and honored because I understand what it is we are stepping up to achieve together.”
Cantwell received unanimous approval from members of the WSU Board of Regents during its special meeting Thursday on the Pullman campus. She will succeed Kirk Schulz as the institution’s 12th president and will be the first female leader in the institution’s 135-year history. Her term as WSU president begins April 1.
During her opening remarks, Cantwell highlighted her significant connections to WSU, including working with WSU faculty on published research. She is also no stranger to Pullman, having visited her daughter, a WSU graduate student, many times in recent years.
I am absolutely thrilled to be here. And I’m humbled and honored because I understand what it is we are stepping up to achieve together.
Elizabeth Cantwell, incoming president
Washington State University
The dedication she’s already seen among members of the university community is palpable, Cantwell told the crowd. That dedication, she noted, will prove vital in the years to come amid the myriad challenges that lay ahead.
“The future needs Washington State University, it needs our students, it needs us to deliver them into that moment, and I’m really confident based on what I’ve seen here and what I have been introduced to that we are ready for that moment.”
To the crowd gathered inside the Compton Union Building and those watching online, Cantwell pledged to build on the strong foundations of the university to the benefit of students, faculty and the state.
Both Cantwell’s message to the university community as well as WSU Board of Regents Chair Lisa Keohokalole Schauer’s letter regarding the appointment are available to read in-full online.
Schauer presided over the meeting Thursday and provided the audience in-person with an overview of Cantwell’s experiences and background.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Cantwell here with us, and we cannot wait to welcome her to the WSU community,” Schauer said.
Cantwell currently serves as president of Utah State University, a land-grant institution with 30 campuses and centers across Utah as well as online. She previously served as senior vice president for research and innovation at the University of Arizona, overseeing an estimated $825 million annual research portfolio. Cantwell also spent time at Arizona State University, overseeing the growth of its research enterprise from $435 million to $680 million in just three years.
Prior to her time serving public universities, Cantwell held leadership roles at Lawrence Livermore, Oak Ridge and Los Alamos national laboratories. She’s also spent time collaborating with federal agencies, including NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Defense Department, and the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Cantwell earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of California-Berkley, and a bachelor’s degree in human behavior from the University of Chicago.
Regents also approved revisions to Schulz’s contract during the meeting, setting a new end date of March 31 to his time as president. He will serve as a special advisor to the president to ensure a seamless transition until June 30, Schauer said.
Cantwell concluded her time at the podium by acknowledging the importance of transparency, pledging to meet with members of the university community across the system. A final “Go Cougs” was echoed by those in attendance.
