LOGAN — Utah State University named its interim dean for the College of Education and Human Services on Wednesday.
USU chose Shawn Whiteman, associate dean for research and innovation at CEHS and professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, to be the interim dean of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services.
Whiteman says the talents of the faculty, staff and students will help it “maintain momentum” in the coming months.
“During this transitional period, the college will continue efforts to advance our missions focused on teaching and learning, research and scholarship, clinical training and practice as well as translation and extension,” Interim Dean Whiteman said.
This announcement comes nearly a week after Dean Al Smith took the helm as interim president of USU on Feb. 20, replacing former President Elizabeth Cantwell after her unexpected departure in the middle of the academic year and 1 1/2 years on the job.
Neither USU nor the Utah System of Higher Education have confirmed when, exactly Cantwell resigned, despite Cache Valley Daily’s multiple requests.
The Utah Board of Higher Education (UBHE) issued a statement on Feb. 6 — hours after Washington State University posted on its website that Cantwell had been named its 12th president.
In the statement, UBHE wished Cantwell the best and said, “While the details are still being finalized, we expect that she will wrap up her time at USU in the next couple of months and assume her new role on April 1, 2025.”
Less than a week later, UBHE appointed Dean Al Smith the interim President of USU and noted Smith will return to his role as dean once a new president is appointed. A week after that, Smith sent an email to all USU employees announcing his first day on the job as interim President on Feb. 20. UBHE, which leads presidential search committees, has yet to announce a committee for USU. It is currently conducting a presidential search for Utah Tech and expected to make an announcement on Feb. 26.
Smith expressed confidence in Whiteman and his demonstrated leadership ability and accomplishments.
“I am certain he will represent our college wonderfully as a member of the dean’s council and as our interim dean,” Smith said.
Whiteman has been an associate dean for research and innovation at USU since 2019. He and his team have provided support services to CEHS faculty by applying for grants, contracts or awards that allowed for $46 million for researchers in the college in the 2024 fiscal year. Recently, the National Science Foundation awarded a $1.25 million grant to Whiteman and his colleague David Feldon to create a postdoctoral training program that would transition three postdocs with interdisciplinary research expertise into tenure-line positions at the college.
His personal academic research investigates the connections between family and youth’s health and socioemotional adjustment. He has published 75 peer-reviewed articles and 13 academic chapters and encyclopedia entries. He earned his doctorate in human development and family studies with a graduate minor in statistics from Pennsylvania State University in 2004. He worked in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University before joining the faculty in 2016.