LOGAN — The Utah Board of Higher Education appointed Alan L. Smith as interim president of Utah State University on Wednesday.
Smith is currently the dean of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services and has been in that position since July 2021.
“I am honored to be entrusted by the board with the responsibility of leading Utah’s land-grant institution, a true gem that profoundly transforms the lives of individuals, families, and communities across the state,” Smith said in a statement from USU. “I am committed to honoring this legacy while sustaining our momentum and advancing the ongoing efforts of our staff, faculty, administrators, and board of trustees to meet the challenges of today and the future.”
Jacey Skinner, chair of the USU Board of Trustees, said the board is grateful for Smith’s willingness to temporarily serve in the role while a nationwide presidential search is underway.
“Dean’s Smith steady leadership style and ability to work with stakeholders will be essential to maintaining USU’s momentum. We have every confidence that Al Smith is the right leader to guide USU through this pivotal transition,” she said.
The Utah Board of Higher Education will begin a search to fill USU’s top vacant position and provide more details about the process in the next few weeks. It also said the plan is to have Smith return to his role as dean of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services once a new president is appointed.
Smith, a first-generation college graduate, has more than 24 years of experience in academia and joined USU after nine years as a professor and chairperson in the Department of Kinesiology at Michigan State University. During Smith’s leadership, the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services secured state support to create the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center and expanded the footprint of USU’s nursing program by doubling its student capacity and created the new Emma Eccles Jones Advanced Nursing Education Suite. Last year, he helped bring in over $46 million in external funding for the college to spend.